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.
The 2025 Washington State POL Final Competition will take place on Saturday, March 8th beginning at 1pm at Tacoma Little Theatre, 210 North I Street in Tacoma. The competition will also be livestreamed via Tacoma Little Theatre’s You Tube Channel: 2025 Washington State Poetry Out Loud Final Competition – YouTube
A digital program of the 2025 Washington State Poetry Out Loud Final Competition is available here.
Congratulations to Sydney Frost of Mt. Spokane High School in Spokane County who will represent Washington State as the 2025 POL State Champion at the National Finals in Washington D.C., May 5-7. Nascha Martinez, a senior at Stanford Online High School representing the POL Virtual cohort, was named runner-up. Honorable mention went to Elizabeth McAleer, a senior at Battle Ground High School in Clark County.
The state champion receives a $200 cash prize and will represent Washington in the National Finals. 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.
Poetry Forward (formerly known as Poetry Ourselves) is an optional, original poetry contest open to all Poetry Out Loud school champions and students participating in POL Virtual. The poem “Home” by Sidra Marshall (Anacortes) was awarded first place, and poems by Luis Mata and Elizabeth McAleer (Lacey and Battle Ground, respectively) were recognized with Honorable Mentions at the 2025 Washington Poetry Out Loud State Final. To listen to 2025’s recognized poems recited by their authors, click here.
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 2025 National Finals
The National Poetry Out Loud Semifinals and Final will take place at the Lisner Auditorium at the George Washington University May 6th and 7th. They will be available through a one-time only webcast at Arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud. The webcast is embedded in the page. No need for an additional link.
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 – February 2
EASTERN – January 26
NORTHWEST – February 1
SOUTHWEST – January 25
POL VIRTUAL – February 1
Download and use the resources below to share information about Washington State Poetry Out Loud with your community.
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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.
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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