PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
HIGH SCHOOLS: GET INVOLVED NOW!
LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL POETRY RECITATION COMPETITION
DEADLINE: OCTOBER 30, 2009
The Poetry Out Loud (POL) national poetry recitation competition returns to Georgia high school classrooms for a fifth contest year in winter/spring 2010. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and Georgia Council for the Arts, The Literary Center at the Margaret Mitchell House administers POL for the state of Georgia. We are now enrolling schools in the program and must hear soon if your school plans to join the 2009-2010 competition.
What is POL
This innovative program encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance of the written word. It incorporates the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English and drama class. Poetry Out Loud, which began in 2005, helps students improve public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn great poetry in literature.
Functioning much like a spelling bee, the POL competition uses a pyramid structure that begins in the classroom. Winners of each classroom recitation competition advance to a schoolwide contest, then each school’s top winner goes to a semi-final competition. Semi-final competitions take place locally in late February and early March 2010. Finalists from the semi-final competitions will advance to the state competition on March 14, 2010 in Atlanta. Finally, one Georgia winner competes at the national finals in Washington, D.C.
The winner at the state level will receive $500 and an all-expenses-paid trip for winner and adult chaperone to compete in the national competition in April 2010. The state winner’s school library will also receive a $500 prize for the purchase of poetry books. The runner-up is awarded $400, with $400 for that student’s school, and a third-place winner will receive $300 plus $300 for his/her school. At the national competition, a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded, with one national winner taking home a college scholarship for $20,000.
Program Materials
Curriculum materials include a teacher’s guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance, a print and online poetry anthology, an audio CD demonstrating the spoken word through use of famous actors and writers, and a DVD featuring examples of exemplary poetry recitation. All of these items are provided free to participating schools.
How to Get Involved
If your school would like to participate, we need to hear from you as soon as possible. Funding is only available for limited participation. For a high school to come on board, one point person, or "school coordinator," at that location must commit to be the liaison between the high school and the state coordinator.
Sign up online to be a school coordinator.
For questions or to register your school, contact the State Coordinator Melanie Eisenhart via email or phone at 404.814.2063.
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Deadlines and Upcoming Dates
October 30, 2009: Deadline for school registration
February 15, 2010: Deadline for school competitions
February/March 2010: Semi-final competitions
March 14, 2010: State competition at Georgia Public Broadcasting
April 25-27, 2010: National Finals in Washington, D.C.
In the News
2009 Competitions
Program Resources
Quick Links
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