Poetry Out Loud

The Eastern Illinois Regional contest will be held in mid-February at Parkland College!

About Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest for high school students, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and by the Illinois Arts Council in partnership with 40 North.

Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to explore poetry as they master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. The program uses a pyramid structure that starts at the classroom level, where teachers use free online and printed materials to lead students through lessons in literature interpretation, close-reading, and formal recitation. Students choose poems to study from a vast database of published poetry, and then compete at bringing their poems to life through recitation.

40 North | 88 West joined as the Eastern Illinois regional partner and organizer for the '07/'08 school year, leading to state victories in 2009 and 2012.

Poetry Out Loud is a 100% FREE program, there are no costs to teachers, schools, or students wishing to participate. All official Poetry Out Loud materials are provided, and cooresponding travel expenses will be covered or reimbursed at request.

The Eastern Illinois region includes the following counties: Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, De Witt, Couglas, Edgar, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, McLean, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby, and Vermilion.