Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. In El Dorado County, the competition is administered by Arts and Culture El Dorado in partnership with the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. A vehicle for inspiration and instruction, Poetry Out Loud provides students with a variety of resources to help them memorize, interpret, and recite poetry, instilling in students not just an appreciation of poetry, but also a sense of accomplishment and confidence in their public speaking abilities.

Students from five high schools in El Dorado County — Ponderosa, El Dorado, Union Mine, Oak Ridge, and Charter University Prep — will compete for the chance to represent their school and our county at the California State Finals. In addition to advancing to the next level of competition, the victor will earn $100; our second-place winner will rake in $75; and our third-place winner will take home $50. The El Dorado County champion will compete in the State Finals, which will be conducted in a virtual format, for the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. to compete in the National Finals.

For more information about the national Poetry Out Loud competition, visit the official website: Click Here

To get information on preparing recitations or curriculum, check out our resources: Click Here