The Division of Cultural Affairs is once again participating in the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest – a literature program for high school students in every state in the country, initiated by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Beginning with a very successful pilot program in 2005, the program in Florida has expanded to include additional Florida school districts, including public schools, private schools, parochial schools and home-schooled students, throughout the state. More are expected this year.  Language Arts teachers in Florida are presenting the NEA’s exciting poetry study materials to their classes, and encouraging students to become involved in school-wide competitions to select a “Best-of-School” student winner to send to our next State Finals contest which will take place in the Heritage Hall Auditorium at the R.A.Gray Building, March, 2010. The Florida state winner and chaperone will be given an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC to compete in the national contest.

Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. By encouraging high school students to memorize and perform great poems, Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. The national winner takes home $20,000 in college scholarship funds, and is recognized by national media. Poetry Out Loud awarded a total of $100,000 in prizes to high school students and schools at the state and national levels in its inaugural year.

Interested teachers at Florida high schools may request packets of the Poetry Out Loud classroom materials from the Division of Cultural Affairs once school begins for the next year. Full-color materials include: poetry anthologies, CD, DVD, posters and a Teacher Guide. Please check this exciting program’s official website at www.poetryoutloud.org.  Contact the Division of Cultural Affairs's State Program Coordinator, Ken Crawford at (850) 245-6395 or kcrawford@dos.state.fl.us for more information, and to register for the 2010 Poetry Out Loud State Finals.

• View Press Release for 2009 winner
• View Press Release for 2008 winners
• View Press Release for 2007 winners

View our Poetry Out Loud PSA

View our Poetry Out Loud 2008 Trailer | transcripts