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History of Program
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation have joined together to create Poetry Out Loud, a program that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. The NEA and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with the State Arts Agencies of the United States to support an expansion of Poetry Out Loud. In 2005, after successful pilot programs in Washington, DC, and Chicago, Poetry Out Loud was launched in high schools across the country. Most recently, in the 2006-07 school year, more than 100,000 students participated nationwide, and 51 State Champions competed at the National Finals in the nation's capital.

Contest Structure
Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. Winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to a regional or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals.

Classroom Time and Schedule
The curriculum for Poetry Out Loud has been designed to fit into a teacher's busy schedule. The program takes place over the span of two to three weeks, according to each teacher's interest and agenda, and it will not require full class periods during that time. To accommodate schools' testing demands and vacation calendars, Poetry Out Loud can be implemented at the school level anytime during the fall and through early winter, with slight variations by state. Please check with yourState Coordinator for your state's specific calendar.

NCTE Standards
Poetry Out Loud satisfies most of the NCTE English Language Arts Standards In addition to memorizing and performing great poems, students will have the opportunity to discuss poetry and—if the teacher wishes to use the optional lesson plans on the website—to write poetry of their own.

Prizes
The following prizes are offered for the official contests identified and conducted by the government State Arts Agencies and the National Endowment for the Arts during the winter and spring of 2008. The prizes do not apply to other unofficial contests.

STATE PRIZES: Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington (with an adult chaperone) to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. One runner-up in each state will receive $100; his or her school will receive $200 for the purchase of poetry books.

NATIONAL PRIZES: A total of $50,000 in scholarship awards and school stipends will be awarded at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, with a $20,000 college scholarship award for the National Champion.

Legal Participation Requirements
No student may be excluded from participation in this program on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, or national origin. Schools may determine eligibility for classroom- and school-level Poetry Out Loud programs, pursuant to local and state law. Under federal law, participation in state finals and the National Finals is restricted to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.