For Immediate Release
August 5, 2015
Contact: Steve Wilcox
602-771-6536
[email protected]
Arizona Schools Invited to Register for National Poetry Recitation Program
Poetry Out Loud helps youth master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about literary heritage
Phoenix (August 5, 2015): The Arizona Commission on the Arts invites Arizona high schools to participate in the 2015-2016 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, a free national program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Poetry Out Loud encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance while mastering public speaking skills, building self-confidence and learning about literary heritage.
Participating teachers receive free multimedia curriculum materials – a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters and comprehensive website (www.poetryoutloud.org) all aligned to national standards – augmenting their regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a classroom-level competition. School-level recitation champions compete to advance to the regional, state and then national levels.
A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends is awarded annually at the National Finals.
Over 11,000 Arizona students and 47 schools in communities throughout the state participated in Poetry Out Loud In 2014-2015.
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.
Arizona schools wishing to participate in the 2015-2016 Poetry Out Loud program are invited to visit www.azarts.gov/pol and complete a short online registration form. Online registration will be open until October 30, 2015. Once registered, schools should contact their region’s partner to learn more about the many resources and opportunities available to them. Contact information for the regional partners can be found under the Resources for Teachers section of www.azarts.gov/pol.
Further detail regarding the Poetry Out Loud program is available at www.poetryoutloud.org.
For more information regarding Poetry Out Loud in Arizona, please visit www.azarts.gov/pol or email the Arizona Commission on the Arts at [email protected].
About the Arizona Commission on the Arts
One of 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies across the United States, the Arizona Commission on the Arts is an agency of the State of Arizona that supports a statewide arts network. The Arizona Commission on the Arts supports access to quality arts and arts education opportunities for all Arizona citizens; the development and retention of statewide jobs in the nonprofit arts, culture and education sectors; and increased economic impact in local communities through arts-based partnerships that develop tax and small business revenue.
For more information about the grants, services and programs of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, visit www.azarts.gov.
We imagine an Arizona where everyone can participate in and experience the arts.
About Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry—recitation and performance. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. For further information regarding Poetry Out Loud, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.
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To request this or any other agency publication in an alternative format, contact the Arts Commission offices at (602) 771-6502.
Images available on request.
