Poetry Out Loud competitions at the local, regional, and state levels may be held virtually or in person. For organizers administering a virtual competition, please reference the How To Administer a Poetry Out Loud Virtual Competition and How to Film a POL Recitation for a Virtual Competition documents. State finals will take place in February and March 2024. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals will be held in Washington, DC from April 30 to May 2, 2024. For more information on holding competitions, please visit the Organizing a Competition page.
The 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals will take place on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
- 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.
State Finals
State/Territory | Date | Winner & School/Org |
Alabama | March 6, 2024 | Emily Biaz- Auburn High School |
Alaska | March 11, 2024 | Mona Koko- West Anchorage High School |
American Samoa | March 15, 2024 | Hazel Leo- Iakina Adventist Academy |
Arizona | March 2, 2024 | Isabel Teran- Sahuarita High School |
Arkansas | March 2, 2024 | Tucker Dowler- Sheridan High School |
California | March 16, 2024 | Riley O’Hara- Sonoma Valley High School |
Colorado | March 11, 2024 | Rize Simmons- Windsor High School |
Connecticut | March 1, 2024 | Emma Frisbie- East Lyme High School |
Delaware | February 29, 2024 | Maiss Hussein- Paul M. Hodgson High School |
District of Columbia | March 17, 2024 | Nyla Dinkins- Benjamin Banneker High School |
Florida | March 2, 2024 | Niveah Glover- Douglas Anderson School of the Arts |
Georgia | March 8, 2024 | Tiana Jones- Whitefield Academy |
Guam | March 9, 2024 | Nikolette Jade Salas- Tiyan High School |
Hawaii | February 25, 2024 | Jordyn Imig- Hanalani Schools |
Idaho | March 16, 2024 | Emma Eldred- New Plymouth High School |
Illinois | March 11, 2024 | Yohanna Endashaw- Niles West High School |
Indiana | March 2, 2024 | Aalihya Banks- Pike High School |
Iowa | March 3, 2024 | Andrew Cusmano- Waterloo West High School |
Kansas | March 2, 2024 | Victoria Jelks- Horton High School |
Kentucky | March 14, 2024 | Lexie Wilson- Williamstown High School |
Louisiana | March 7, 2024 | Grisham Locke- Ruston Cultural District |
Maine | March 11, 2024 | Lyra Legawiec- Mt. Ararat High School |
Maryland | March 16, 2024 | Madison Harris- Indian Creek School |
Massachusetts | March 10, 2024 | Ailin Sha- Boston Latin School |
Michigan | March 9, 2024 | Paige Cook- Interlochen Arts Academy |
Minnesota | March 1, 2024 | Ariana Kimball- Washburn High School |
Mississippi | March 7, 2024 | Malisha Taylor- Pacagoula High School |
Missouri | March 7, 2024 | Julie Clayton- Nerinx High School |
Montana | March 2, 2024 | Molly Ogan- Butte High School |
Nebraska | March 9, 2024 | Elizabeth Buescher- Marian High School |
Nevada | March 9, 2024 | Rayann Hijazi- Coral Academy of Science High School |
New Hampshire | March 15, 2024 | Morgan Cole- Portsmouth High School |
New Jersey | March 14, 2024 | Lucas Wilson- Red Bank Regional High School |
New Mexico | March 3, 2024 | Kaitlyn Lubega- UWC-USA |
New York | March 9, 2024 | Emily Wang- Horace Mann School |
North Carolina | February 24, 2024 | Richmond Parris- UNC School of the Arts |
North Dakota | February 26, 2024 | Circe Atkinson- Mandan High School |
Ohio | February 9, 2024 | Amanda Braig- McNicholas High School |
Oklahoma | March 6, 2024 | Alissa Rodgers- Lawton High School |
Oregon | March 9, 2024 | Katie Lineburg- St. Stephens Academy |
Pennsylvania | March 4, 2024 | Sulette Lange- Hazleton Area Arts & Humanities Academy |
Puerto Rico | March 8, 2024 | Amir Trinidad-Vidal- Saint John’s School |
Rhode Island | March 10, 2024 | Jennifer Shon- Portsmouth Abbey School |
South Carolina | March 9, 2024 | Jessie Leitzel- Charleston County School of the Arts |
South Dakota | March 18, 2024 | Grace Powell- Dakota Valley High School |
Tennessee | March 2, 2024 | Charlotte Bollschweiler- Clayton-Bradley Academy |
Texas | February 24, 2024 | Oluwabori Fadairo- The Hockaday School |
Utah | March 13, 2024 | Anni Willes- Waterford School |
Vermont | March 14, 2024 | Greer Kennedy- St. Johnsbury Academy |
Virgin Islands | March 9, 2024 | Isabella Thill- Antilles School |
Virginia | March 8, 2024 | Milla Hartford- Deep Run High School |
Washington | March 9, 2024 | Blaze Rowan- Olympia High School |
West Virginia | March 9, 2024 | Willow Peyton- St. Marys High School |
Wisconsin | March 9, 2024 | Riley Saenim- The Prairie School |
Wyoming | February 26, 2024 | Elora Nation- Natrona County Library |
Find your state’s Poetry Out Loud coordinator here.