Students To Compete in Montana Poetry Out Loud State Finals

• Monica Grable
• February 16 2024

Contact: Monica Grable, Arts Education Director

Montana Arts Council

(406) 444-6522 | Monica.Grable@mt.gov

https://art.mt.gov

Presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. On Saturday, March 2, 2024, more than 60 students from 16 towns will participate in the Poetry Out Loud State Finals at Grandstreet Theatre in Helena from 10am to 3pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Poetry Out Loud starts in the classroom/school or at the local level with an area organization. Winners then may advance to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the national finals. At the Montana state finals, competitors will recite works they memorized from an anthology of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation provide free, standards-based curriculum materials—all available online—which teachers may choose to use in their classrooms. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.3 million students and 76,000 teachers from 19,000 schools across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud. 2023-2024 is the 19th school year in which Montana students have participated.

What makes Poetry Out Loud so valuable for students? "Reciting poetry by heart is one of the earliest forms of artistic expression and a long-treasured means of passing down culture and heritage," Montana Arts Council Executive Director Krys Holmes noted. "These Montana students are finding their own voices through this long tradition."

The winner of the Poetry Out Loud Montana state finals will receive $200, and the winner’s representing school or organization will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up will receive $100, with $200 for their representing school or organization to purchase poetry materials.

The Montana state champion will advance to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC this May. All 55 state and jurisdictional champions will compete in the national semifinals on Wednesday, May 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, with the top nine students advancing to the finals on Thursday, May 2, from 7:00 to 9:15 p.m. ET. Both days are free and open to the public and will be available through a one-time-only webcast at arts.gov. In total, $50,000 in awards and school/organization stipends, including a $20,000 award for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion, will be presented at the National Finals. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.

About the Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation recognizes the power of words to transform lives. The Foundation works to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry. Follow the Poetry Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and Poetry magazine on Twitter.

About the Montana Arts Council

In 1965 Montana Annotated Code 22-2-102 established the MAC as an agency of state government. The MAC mission is to develop the creative potential of all Montanans, advance education, spur economic vibrancy, and revitalize communities through involvement in the arts. Fifteen individuals appointed by the Governor oversee the Montana Arts Council. More information can be found at art.mt.gov