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The Nevada Arts Council, the Nevada Department of Education and the Nevada Alliance for Arts Education invites your participation in the 3rd year of Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation contest for high school students sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
What Happened in 2007?
All Nevada counties with high schools participated with local and semi-final competitions. Jake Reid, a junior at Douglas County High School in Minden, took first place at the State Finals, receiving $1,000, and competed for $50,000 in scholarships and school prizes in the National Finals in Washington, D.C. His school received $2,000 for the purchase of poetry books and to support literary programs. Sophomore Lainey Henderson from Carson High School won second place and Geoffrey McFarland, a senior at Reno’s Galena High School, took third. Each received $500, with $1,000 for his or her school. All participating school districts reported favorable outcomes, and the students who participated at the State Finals demonstrated exceptional levels of confidence, talent, and artistry.
Why Poetry?
As John Barr, president of The Poetry Foundation noted, “…In the hands of the poet, our everyday speech becomes a musical instrument.” Poetry Out Loud engages students in the dynamic aspects of the spoken word and theatre through poetry recitation. The program encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about our literary heritage.
What do teachers get?
Starting at the classroom level, teachers are provided with free multimedia curriculum materials – a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters, and comprehensive website, http://www.poetryoutloud.org all aligned to national standards – to augment your regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a school-level competition. School-level recitation champions advance to the state and national levels. The student winner and a chaperone from each participating school district will be reimbursed for their travel expenses to the State Finals on March 15, 2008 on campus of University of Nevada, Reno. The top three students at the State Finals will receive cash prizes of: 1st place - $1,000, 2nd place - $500, 3rd place - $500. The schools of the top three students will receive cash prizes for literary programs of: 1st place - $2,000, 2nd place - $1,000, 3rd place - $1,000.
How do schools register? - Registration forms and instructions are available on the Nevada Arts Council’s website: www.nvartseducation.org or by contacting Denise Rush at 775.772.5896 or denise@nvartseducation.org.
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