POETRY OUT LOUD 

The 2008 Vermont Poetry Out Loud State Finals took place on March 11th in Montpelier. 

Congratulations to the winner, Caleb Smith-Hastings, of Middlebury Union High School, who will proceed to the national competition in Washington, DC on April 26, 2008. Watch excerpts of winning performances below.

2008 VIDEOS

2008 FINALISTS AND PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Above: Student Anna Svagzdys - photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur

BACKGROUND

Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  

The program, which began in 2005, encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, and helps students master public speaking skills while learning about their literary heritage. 

Poetry Out Loud builds on the recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as demonstrated by the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among our youth. Participation begins at the classroom level around the country; winners will advance to school-wide, county, and state-wide competitions, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC.

PRIZES

School-level recitation champions advance to the state and then national levels. In 2007, Poetry Out Loud awarded more than $100,000 in prizes to students and schools at the state and national levels.

STATE PRIZES: Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington (with an adult chaperone) to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. One runner-up in each state will receive $100; his or her school will receive $200 for the purchase of poetry books.

NATIONAL PRIZES: A total of $50,000 in scholarship awards and school stipends will be awarded to the winners at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, with a $20,000 college scholarship award for the National Champion.

RESOURCES

Participating teachers receive free multimedia curriculum materials – a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters, and the comprehensive Poetry Out Loud website , all aligned to national standards – augmenting their regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a classroom-level competition.

This year’s Teacher’s Guide incorporates a simplified rubric and optional creative writing lesson plan. As the sponsoring Vermont Arts Agency, the Council will also be available to offer workshops for teachers to provide tips on bringing the program into their classrooms and to sponsor classroom visits by teaching artists.

Teachers, students, and poetry lovers everywhere can use Poetry Out Loud website and its accompanying educational materials to organize their own recitation contests, but the official contest is limited to the programs run by each state's Arts Agency. The Poetry Out Loud website has the following areas you may find helpful:

PAST WINNERS of vermont poetry out loud

2008: Caleb Smith-Hastings, Middlebury Union HS
2007: Henry Kiely, People's Academy of Morrisville (watch video from 2007 student performances)
2006: Anna Svagzdys, Montpelier HS

CONTACT

Questions, concerns, and material requests should be emailed to Stacy Raphael, Education Programs Manager, (802) 828-3778.