Poetry recitation · School or team
Poetry Out Loud
Perform anthology poems through local and state selection toward the national recitation finals.
Who it’s for: High-school students; limited grade 8 exception
Your first step
Contact your state coordinator or a participating school or organization.
Open official guideThe route
Local participation
Join the official program through a school or participating organization and select eligible poems.
Local competition
Compete in the lower-level rounds required by your state.
State competition
Advancing students compete for the state or jurisdictional championship.
National Finals
State and jurisdictional champions compete at Nationals.
Before you commit: An unofficial school contest does not establish advancement; only approved anthology poems and eligible students qualify.
Sources and review · 2026-10-20
Organizer: National Endowment for the Arts and Mid Atlantic Arts. Causey’s summary is a starting point; the organizer decides eligibility, selection and current availability.