Poetry Out Loud Central Illinois Regional Contest

The Springfield Area Arts Council will host the Poetry Out Loud Central Illinois Regional Contest on Wednesday, February 21, at 4:00 P.M. in Theatre Three at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. There is no admission cost, and all are welcome.

Poetry Out Loud is a national contest in which students test their skills of oration and interpretation through poetry. 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, the District of Columbia, the U. S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Since the pilot program in 2005, more than 3,000,000 students, 10,000 high schools, and 50,000 teachers have participated in Poetry Out Loud nationwide. [Source: National Endowment for the Arts]

In Poetry Out Loud, teenagers select, analyze, and commit to memory classic or contemporary poems for recitation. Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to one of eight regional competitions in Illinois, then to the state tournament, and ultimately to the national finals in Washington, D. C.

The Springfield Area Arts Council partners with the Illinois Arts Council Agency to bring this program to central Illinois. This year, 13 area high schools, 26 teachers, and 597 students are participating.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Decatur: Eisenhower High School

Eureka: Eureka High School

Franklin: Franklin High School

Nokomis: Nokomis High School

Pawnee: Pawnee High School

Peoria: Quest Charter Academy

Rochester: Rochester High School

Springfield: Lanphier High School; Lutheran High School; Sacred Heart-Griffin High School;

Southeast High School; Springfield High School

Virginia: Virginia High School