Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. Participating students develop public speaking skills. They build self-confidence and learn to connect with literature in new ways, often discovering a new outlet for creative expression.
Poetry Out Loud is supported by The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation. ArtsWA coordinates and manages the program in Washington State.
Washington State Poetry Out Loud turns 20 this year! Poetry Out Loud began in Washington in 2005 with eight schools in Thurston County, reaching 624 students.
Please note: these dates may be subject to adjustment.
2024-2025
All students and schools grades 9-12 may register to participate in the Washington State Poetry Out Loud program. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Students advance from classroom competitions to school-wide competitions. School champions progress to the regional competition. Regional champions move on to the state final. Finally, one student from each state advances to the National Finals.
POL Virtual makes it possible for students who do not attend schools that register for Poetry Out Loud, and homeschooled students, to participate in the program.
If you are a student or teacher wishing to participate, please visit our Register for Poetry Out Loud page for details.
The 2024 Washington State POL State Final Competition took place on Saturday, March 9th beginning at 1pm at Tacoma Little Theatre, 210 North I Street in Tacoma. View recitations by the three finalists here.
A digital program of the 2024 Washington State Poetry Out Loud Final Competition is available here.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Washington Poetry Ourselves original poetry competition. The announcement video can be viewed here. Audio of the winning poems, read by the authors, is available here.
The state champion receives a $200 cash prize and will represent Washington in the National Finals, held virtually this spring. The state champions’ school receives $500 for the purchase of poetry books.
The runner-up in the state competition receives a $100 cash prize. Their school library receives a $200 cash prize.
The National Final champion receives a $25,000 scholarship and school stipends for poetry books. A total of $50,000 in prizes are awarded to the top students.
The 2024 National Finals
The National Finals took place at 7:00 p.m. ET on May 2nd at Lisner Auditorium, and culminated with the announcement of the 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion. Niveah Glover, a 12th-grade student at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, is the 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion. Click here to learn more.
Students who are the top scorers at their School Final Competitions, and participants in POL Virtual, will gather at five Regional Final Competitions to determine which students will advance to the State Final Competition in Tacoma, on March 8th, 2025.
CENTRAL
Sunday, February 2nd at 1pm – Kendall Hall, Yakima Valley College Campus (South) 16th Ave. & Nob Hill Blvd, Yakima
EASTERN
Sunday, January 26th at 1 – 4pm – Hamilton Studio, 1427 W Dean Ave, Spokane,
NORTHWEST
Saturday February 1st from Noon – 4pm – Anacortes Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes
SOUTHWEST
Saturday, January 25th from 1-5pm – South Puget Sound Community College, Minnaert Center for the Arts, 2011 Mottman Rd SW, Olympia
POL VIRTUAL
Saturday, February 1st at 10am – Online from Tacoma Little Theatre.
Download and use the resources below to share information about Washington State Poetry Out Loud with your community.
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Washington first piloted Poetry Out Loud in 2005. In that first year, the program included just eight high schools in Thurston County. The program has grown to include over 40 schools from across the state. In the 2023-24 school year, over 9,000 students participated.
In 2021, POL Virtual was launched, allowing students who are homeschooled or attend schools that do not register for the program to participate.
In 2023 Poetry Ourselves was added, encouraging students at champion levels to submit their original works in an adjudicated, state-wide poetry competition. Students must participate in Poetry Out Loud in order to be eligible for Poetry Ourselves.
Washington has consistently ranked in the top five nationally in student participation. Washington State Champions continue to be strong contenders at the National Poetry Out Loud competition. Langston Ward of Spokane became our first National Champion in 2013.
ArtsWA partners with organizations across the state. These partners support school and student participation and regional finals.
Eastern Washington:
Spokane Arts
Central Washington:
Yakima Valley College
Northwest Washington:
Skagit Valley Poetry Foundation
Southwest Washington:
South Puget Sound Community College
POL Virtual:
Tacoma Little Theatre
ArtsWA engages teacher leadership in guiding the program, and exploring opportunities for teachers and students to further connect through poetry. For the 2024-25 school year Carolyn Gilman, from Olympia High School, continues to bring her decade and more of knowledge and enthusiasm for Poetry Out Loud to the role of statewide Teacher Liaison.
If you have additional questions, contact our Poetry Out Loud coordinator by email.
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