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Poetry Out Loud- National Poetry Recitation Contest

Presented by California Arts Council at California State Capitol - Senate Chambers

March 15, 2010

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The final competition for the State of California takes place in Sacramento! The winner will continue on to the National Finals in Washington D.C..

Poetry Out Loud is a growing nation-wide recitation contest for high school students in all schools. The students select from a large collection of historical and contemporary poetry. Recitation begins in the classroom culminating in contests that take place at the school, county, state and national levels. As part of the program, each school receives 5 hours of instruction and/or judging from regional poets, and all the required orientation and written materials. POL is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, the Sacramento County Office of Education, California Poets in the Schools, and the National Poetry Foundation.

Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry. There has been a recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of hip-hop music. Poetry Out Loud builds on that momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with State Arts Agencies of the United States to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

The program will continue to grow during the 2009-2010 school year, culminating in the 2010 National Finals in Washington, DC, on April 27, 2010.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission finds and places poets in close to 25 schools each year for recitation & coaching, selects the judges for the county competition and helps facilitate the county competition as well. The State Competition is facilitated by the California Arts Council and is comprised of all the California County winners. The recitations are free and open to the public...and very moving.