Pictured above is Village Home learner, Mitchell Lenneville-Hutchinson. Mitchell won the Poetry Out Loud competition at Village Home in 2016. After also winning regionals and state, Mitchell represented the State of Oregon in the National Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington DC.
Read about Mitchell here. Hear from Mitchell on a Think Out Loud episode called, “Extraordinary Youth”
2020 Regional Winner, Sevyn South
2016 Regional and State Winner, Mitchell Lenneville-Hutchinson
What is Poetry Out Loud?
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the high school aged learners to explore poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. Contestants memorize and recite three poems. More information about Poetry Out Loud here.
Village Home Poetry Out Loud Competition
Invite your family and friends to watch — it’s really fun! Our competition environment is casual and supportive, while also following the required standards of the competition. The winner advances to a regional and/or state competition, and one lucky participant from the State of Oregon goes on to the National Finals. The state-level winner receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington DC to compete nationally. The Village Home competition is usually held in early February. Dates & Times for 2021 coming soon!
How the Competition Works
1. Let us know you are interested by filling out this quick interest form. You are not obligated to compete — this is just letting us know you want more information.
2. Select your poems from the Anthology (we can help you with this if you need it). Only versions of poems from the official anthology may be used in the contest. For the Village Home competition, learners will select three poems, and will be prepared to perform two for the VH competition. At the regional, state and national finals, students must have 3 poems prepared. One poem must be 25 lines or fewer, and one must be written before the 20th century. One poem may be used to meet both criteria, and may be the student’s third poem. For more information about selecting poems, see the rules here.
3. Attend the optional FREE Poetry Out Loud workshop at Village Home! (Dates & Times = TBA)
4. When you have your poems, and you have decided to join the competition, register for the competition here. Deadline to Register is January 30, 2021.
Information about how to recite a poem is available here. Learn more about the competition here.