POETRY OUT LOUD COMPETITION

Young Artists | Poetry Out Loud | Congressional Arts Competition

Age does not determine artistic ability, and the Arts Council of Calvert County is on a mission to prove it.

The Arts Council of Calvert County hosted the third county level competition for the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest in January 2011. The competition, presented in partnership with the Maryland State Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Students from Calvert, Northern and Patuxent High Schools participated in this year's Poetry Out Loud county level contest. The winner of this competition advances to the Regional Competition in Ellicott City, MD on February 12.  The State Poetry Out Loud contest will be on February 26 in Baltimore. The Maryland State champion advances to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC on April 29.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to County, Regional and State level competitions, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC. More than 150,000 students across the country are expected to take part in Poetry Out Loud this year.

Students recite works selected from an anthology of more than 500 classic and contemporary poems. Judges evaluate student performances on criteria including articulation, evidence of understanding, level of difficulty, and accuracy. 

To learn more about the Poetry Out Loud contest visit www.poetryoutloud.org. 

  Arts Council President and Emcee for the County Competition Bill Chambers pictured with the winners of the 2011 Competition

2nd Place: Candace Ross, Calvert High School (on the left) and 1st Place: Alex Williams, Patuxent High School (on the right).