High school English and theater arts teachers across North Carolina have until Friday, Sept. 18 to register for the statewide Poetry Out Loud recitation contest, coordinated by the North Carolina Arts Council.
An initiative funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and coordinated by state arts councils across the country, Poetry Out Loud is educational, fun and provides students the opportunity to win scholarships and prizes for their schools.
"Watching high-school students engage so earnestly with Poetry Out Loud over the past four years is rewarding to me and for all of us involved," said Linda Bamford, arts in education director for the North Carolina Arts Council.
Mimi Herman, poet and educator, is contracted by the Arts Council to implement the program. As a teaching artist, she travels the country instructing educators to use the arts throughout the curriculum.
Poetry Out Loud encourages students to memorize and recite poetry while mastering public speaking skills, building self-confidence and learning about literary heritage. In 2008, Poetry Out Loud reached more than 100 schools in N.C. -- the second highest participation in the country with more than 11,800 high school students participating at various stages of the program -- the fifth highest number in the country.
Last year's winner was Orange County student Nadia Nasir of Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough. She recited "Snow Day" by Billy Collins, "Blackberrying" by Sylvia Plath and "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman.
The Endowment provides teachers with free multimedia curriculum materials -- a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers' guide, posters and a comprehensive Web site, www.poetryoutloud.org, all aligned to national standards and intended to augment the schools' regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a school-level competition.
The contest starts at the classroom level and proceeds to the school and district levels. Coordinators at both the school and district levels may include English teachers, theater arts teachers, school counselors, administrators, parents, PTA/PTO organizations and volunteers.
Winners from the district level advance to semi-final and final state level competitions. Winners at the state level receive $200 and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the national championship. The national contest is scheduled Sunday, April 25-Tuesday, April 27, 2010 with the state finals scheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2010 at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh.
High schools interested in participating should visit the Art Council's Poetry Out Loud Web site atwww.ncarts.org/poetryoutloud for more information. Participating English and theater arts teachers should register online by Friday, Sept. 18.
About the North Carolina ArtsCouncil
The North Carolina Arts Council works to make North Carolina The Creative State where a robust arts industry produces a creative economy, vibrant communities, children prepared for the 21st century and lives filled with discovery and learning. The Arts Council accomplishes this in partnership with artists and arts organizations, other organizations that use the arts to make their communities stronger, and North Carolinians—young and old—who enjoy and participate in the arts.
For more information visit www.ncarts.org.
The N.C. Arts Council is a division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina's arts, history and culture. www.ncculture.com
Love the title "Poetry Out Loud"!
ReplyDeleteGlenda, let me know if you need any help setting up for our picnic.
After seeing and enjoying some students at the NCWN conference a couple of years ago, reciting their own work, I'd really enjoy hearing the students recite poetry from poets whose work I know.
ReplyDeleteI hope the high school teachers will get our western most students involved.
We should email this link to any teachers we know.