2021 Poetry Out Loud National Finals to be held virtually! Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board and South Central Services Cooperative.

Poetry Out Loud provides students with opportunities to:
• Engage with poetry to learn about literary history and contemporary life
• Build skills in public speaking and self-confidence
• Meet others who love poetry
• Compete for up to $50,000 in state and national prizes

Poetry Out Loud provides educators materials:
• A comprehensive teacher’s guide
• Lesson plans
• NCTE and ELA Standards alignment
• Videos of student performances
• An online poetry anthology
• Promotional and media resources

In order to ensure the safety and health of participating students and staff, the 2021 POL National Finals will be held virtually in lieu of holding them on-site in Washington D.C. as previously planned. We strongly encourage teachers and organizers at all contest levels to hold virtual competitions for the 2020-2021 POL season.  At this time, the dates for the virtual 2021 National Finals are still to be determined, but will take place in the Spring as a video submission-based competition. When more details are available, they will be shared with the POL community-at-large.
Find out more at https://www.mnscsc.org/poetry-out-loud or poetryoutloud.org
Contact Mary Hillmann at mhillman@mnscsc.org