Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry. There has been a recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of hip-hop music. Poetry Out Loud builds on that momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with State Arts Agencies of the United States to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

Dillon Arévalo from NPA Named Winner in
Humboldt County “Poetry Out Loud” Contest

Dillon Arévalo wins local competition that emphasizes language skill and public speaking; advances to the state finals in Sacramento on March 15 & 16

Dillon Arévalo, a junior at North Coast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy (NPA) in Arcata took first place in the Humboldt County “Poetry Out Loud” competition on February 7th.  Second place went to Jeanny Adriyanti also from NPA.  Dillon and Jeanny were two of thousands of students across the state to participate in the national recitation contest, a program run by the Humboldt Arts Council in the county, the California Arts Council in the state and started by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to engage high-school students in the presentation of poetry through memorization and performance. Dillon and Jeanny will advance to the California state finals in Sacramento on March 15 and 16, 2010. At stake are hundreds of dollars on the state competition level and thousands at the national finals of Poetry Out Loud.  The Humboldt Arts Council awarded Dillon and Jeanny with a Literary Arts On-line Certificate which entitles each student a posting of an original poem on the Humboldt Arts Council’s website.

“Young people interested in rap and slam contests can be surprisingly interested in classical poetry when it’s presented through the Poetry Out Loud competition,” said Muriel Johnson, Director of the California Arts Council. “We’ve seen students from all backgrounds and academic levels embrace this program wholeheartedly. It can change their lives.”

The Poetry out Loud program seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry: recitation and performance. Poetry Out Loud competitions start in the classroom, then at the school, region, state, and national finals, similar to the structure of the spelling bee. The national initiative is part of an attempt to bring literary arts to students, a critical need in U.S. schools, according to a 2004 NEA report Reading at Risk that found a dramatic decline in literary reading, especially among younger readers.

The Humboldt Arts Council would like to thank Jay Scrivner with North Coast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy and Adina Lawson with Eureka High School. Thank you to the panel of judges: Lucy Quinby – Humboldt Arts Council Board Member and retired teacher, Ann Diehl – Humboldt Arts Council Board Member and retired teacher, Vinnie Peloso – Writer and Reading Professor at College of the Redwoods, and Anita Punla – local writer and poet.

For more information on Dillon Arévalo or Jeanny Adriyanti, or to set up interviews, contact the Humboldt Arts Council’s Museum Programs Manager Rebecca Cacciari at (707) 442-0278 ext.201.  General information can be found at www.cac.ca.gov and www.poetryoutloud.org.

CONTEST STRUCTURE AND AWARDS

Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. Winners will advance to the school-wide competition, then to the state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals. More information about the contest's structure can be found here.

Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. A runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends at the National Finals will be awarded to the winners. Awards will be made in the form of lump sum cash payouts, reportable to the IRS. Tax liabilities are the sole responsibility of the winners and their families.

PROGRAM MATERIALS AND SCHEDULE

Poetry Out Loud curriculum materials include print and online poetry anthologies, a teachers guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance, an audio CD featuring distinguished actors and writers, promotional and media guides, and a comprehensive Website. Hard copies of all materials are free for schools participating in the official program. All curriculum materials are also available for download on the Poetry Out Loud Website. Schools not officially involved in the official contest are welcome to use the online materials.

While teachers, students, and poetry lovers everywhere can use this website and its accompanying educational materials to organize their own recitation contests, the official contest is limited to the programs run by each state's Arts Agency. If you are an educator interested in participating in the official program, please contact the Humboldt Arts Council.

PARTNERS

Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the State and Jurisdictional Arts Agencies of the United States.

The mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity.
The agency encourages widespread public participation in the arts; helps build strong arts organizations at the local level; assists with the professional development of arts leaders; promotes awareness of the value of the arts; and directly support arts program for children and communities. The 11-member Council and professional staff have expertise in the arts, creative industries, education, community development, state and local government, and the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. The arts spark the engine of Creative California, and our goal is to ensure that they are available for every Californian.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts — both new and established — bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It has embarked on an ambitious plan to bring the best poetry before the largest possible audiences.