Poetry Out Loud workshops

Join YoloArts and Oke Jr for a series of Poetry Out Loud workshops. Students will have a chance to research and select poems from the POL Anthology, work on recitation, stage presence, and understanding as they prepare to compete in Yolo County’s annual Poetry Out Loud competition. Winner of the county competition will advance to the State Finals in Sacramento.

Each winner at the state level receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip (with an adult chaperone) to Washington, DC, to compete at the National Finals. The state winner’s school/organization receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state receives $100, with $200 for their school/organization. At the national finals, a total of $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends are awarded annually including a $20,000 award for the National Champion, $10,000 for 2nd place, $5,000 for 3rd place, and $1,000 for 4th-12th places. The representing schools/organizations of each of the top 12 finalists receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. Visit the FAQ and rules sections for more details.

Sessions will take place at the Barn Gallery at 512 Gibson Rd. in Woodland CA.

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. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies.

Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 4.1 million students and 68,000 teachers from 17,000 schools and organizations in every state, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.