On Monday, March 11, high school students from across the state of Illinois will compete in a poetry recitation contest in the City of Springfield, as part of the national Poetry Out Loud competition.
The event, presented by the Springfield Area Arts Council, will host a total of sixteen students, each of whom were selected as winners in regional competitions held throughout February. The winner will qualify for Poetry Out Loud’s National Recitation Contest, to be held in Washington DC in May.
Poetry Out Loud is an arts education program which describes itself as helping students, “master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.” The national contest in May will be the organization’s 19th annual event.
The Illinois finals will be hosted at the Hoogland Center for the Arts LRS Theatre at 10:00 AM on March 11. As part of the central Illinois region, Springfield is represented in the contest this year by students Ella Meyer of Lutheran High School and Ashyla Richards of Southeast High School.
Whoever wins the competition will earn a trip to DC in May, with a chance for the national prize of $20,000.
More information on the contest can be found at the Springfield Area Arts Council’s website: https://springfieldartsco.org/poetryoutloud/
