Poetry Out Loud
A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud is an arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students that lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.5 million students and 85,000 teachers from 21,000 schools across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud. Visit poetryoutloud.org for more information. If you are interested in participating in the official program, please contact your state arts agency.
2025 Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals & Finals
Join us for the Poetry Out Loud® National Finals in Washington, DC, May 6–7, 2025 as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the program, which has reached more than 4.5 million students since its inception! You can watch the competition live in person at Lisner Auditorium, The George Washington University, 730 21st Street NW, Washington, DC, or online through a one-time-only webcast on this page. A total of $50,000 in awards and school or organizational stipends will be awarded at the National Finals, including $20,000 for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
Read the press release for full details
Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
All of the 2025 Poetry Out Loud state and jurisdictional champions will compete in one of three National Semifinals between 9:00 a.m.– 8:00 p.m. ET. The top three students from each semifinal, nine in total, will move on to the National Finals on May 7.
- 9:00 a.m. ET— Champions from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
- 1:00 p.m. ET— Champions from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
- 5:00 p.m. ET— Champions from Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Poetry Out Loud National Finals: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
The National Finals, hosted by National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett, will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET and will culminate with the live announcement of the 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
Join the celebration on X (Twitter) and Instagram using #POL2025, #POL20Years, and #IAmPoetryOutLoud.
Study on Impact of Poetry Out Loud
Line by Line: Transforming Student Lives and Learning with the Art of Poetry presents findings from an evaluation of Poetry Out Loud that involves data collection from ten sample schools assessing the program’s impact on poetry appreciation and engagement, social and emotional development, and academic performance. A fact sheet summarizing the results is also available.
