Each year, thousands of students across the state compete in Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation competition. This month, each participating school will send their champion to one of three regional competitions to determine which 9 students will vie for the title of state champion.
The Arizona Commission on the Arts partners with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, as well as regional and local organizations, to administer the Poetry Out Loud program in Arizona. The contest encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation and helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. Winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., where the Arizona state champion competes against students from across the country.
Three students will advance from each regional competition to compete at the state finals. This year’s state finals will be held on Friday, March 11, at the downtown Phoenix studios of KAET, 8 Arizona PBS, who will later broadcast the event.
This year, the following schools will be sending students to compete at the regional level:
Northern Region
- BASIS Prescott (Prescott)
- Coconino High School (Flagstaff)
- Flagstaff High School (Flagstaff)
- Kingman High School (Kingman)
- Payson High School (Payson)
- Sedona Red Rock High School (Sedona)
- Tri-City College Preparatory High School (Prescott)
The Northern Regional Finals will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at 2:00pm, at Lowell Observatory, 1400 W Mars Hill Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. This event is free an open to the public.
Central Region
- AAEC (Paradise Valley)
- American Leadership Academy (Queen Creek)
- Arizona School for the Arts (Phoenix)
- Bella Vista College Prep (Scottsdale)
- Betty Fairfax High School (Laveen)
- Brophy College Preparatory (Phoenix)
- Combs High School (San Tan Valley)
- Herberger Young Scholars Academy (Glendale, AZ 85306)
- Highland High School (Gilbert)
- Horizon HS (Scottsdale)
- La Joya Community High School (Avondale)
- Maryvale High School (Phoenix)
- Mesa High School (Mesa)
- Metro Tech High School (Phoenix )
- Mohave (Scottsdale)
- North High School (Phoenix)
- Paradise Valley High School (Phoenix)
- Perry High School (Gilbert)
- South Mountain High School (Phoenix)
- The South Phoenix Academy of Technology & Performing Arts (Phoenix)
- University High School (Tolleson)
- Verrado High School (Buckeye)
- Ville de Marie Academy (Scottsdale)
- Williams Field High School (Gilbert)
- Willow Canyon High (Surprise)
- Xavier College Preparatory (Phoenix)
The Central Regional Finals will be held on Saturday, February 13, 2016, at 12:00pm, at ASU Memorial Union, MU230, 301 E. Orange Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281. This event is free an open to the public. For instructions on how to get to the Memorial Union building, click here.
Southern Region
- Casa Grande Union High School (Casa Grande)
- Cienega High School (Vail)
- Ironwood Ridge High School (Tucson)
- Nogales High School (Nogales)
- Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucson)
- Sonoran Science Academy (Tucson)
- St. Augustine Catholic High School (Tucson)
- Sunnyside High School (Tucson)
- The Gregory School (Tucson)
- Tucson High Magnet School (Tucson)
- University High School (Tucson)
- Villa Oasis (Eloy)
The Southern Regional Finals will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at 1:00pm, at University of Arizona Poetry Center, 1508 E Helen St, Tucson, AZ 85719. This event is free an open to the public.
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On Saturday, March 2, nine exceptional young people will compete for the opportunity to represent the State of Arizona at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC, and a shot at the grand prize: a $20,000 college scholarship. The registration portal for 2024 Arizona Poetry Out Loud is now open! Teachers and educators working with high school-level students can register to participate through October 31, 2023. On Saturday, March 11, 2023, UArizona Poetry Center in Tucson hosted the the Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Finals. Nine exceptional young people competed for the opportunity to represent Arizona at the National Finals. We're delighted to announce Arizona's 2023 Champion: Biruni Hariadi! On Saturday, March 11, nine exceptional young people will compete for the opportunity to represent the State of Arizona at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC, and a shot at the grand prize: a $20,000 college scholarship. On June 5, 2022, Arizona's 2022 Poetry Out Loud State Champion, Oscar Landa Samano, placed third in the final round of the Poetry Out Loud National Finals. 
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Biruni Hariadi is Arizona's 2023 Poetry Out Loud State Champion!
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