R.I. High School Students Compete in the 18th Poetry Out Loud Competition, March 12

Providence RI – The media is invited to cover and take photographs/video at the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts’ 18th Poetry Out Loud competition. Twelve R.I. high school students will compete in the Poetry Out Loud state finals on Sunday (March 12), starting at 1 p.m., at The Greenwich Odeum, 59 Main St., East Greenwich.

2023 Poetry Out Loud finals who will compete from East Providence:

Nazarae Phillip East Providence High School
What: RI Poetry Out Loud Finals where 12 R.I. high school students will compete
When: Sunday (March 12) at 1 p.m.
Where: The Greenwich Odeum, 59 Main St., East Greenwich
Day of Contact: Maggie Anderson, Maggie.anderson@arts.ri.gov. 
Media Contact: Faye Zuckerman, faye.zuckerman@arts.ri.gov;  (401) 641-3642.

More details
The Poetry Out Loud Rhode Island Finals, a family friendly event, is free and open to the public. During the State Finals, contestants will recite works they selected from an anthology of more than 900 classic
The Poetry Out Loud Rhode Island Finals, a family friendly event, is free and open to the public. During the State Finals, contestants will recite works they selected from an anthology of more than 900 classic and contemporary poems. Additionally, Damont Combs, who performs as Mr. Orange, will be presenting as the guest poet.

This year’s state champion receives a paid trip (with an adult chaperone) to compete in the national finals in Washington, D.C., May 8-10, 2023. In addition, the 2023 state champion receives $200, and the winner’s school gets a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up receives $100; $200 for his or her school library.

Our community partners included Poetry Out Loud R.I. Program Coordinator Martha Lavieri, teaching artists Pat Hawkridge, Damont Combs, The Greenwich Odeum, The Providence Athenaeum, the Rhode Island Center for the Book and RISCA.

The competition, presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. Students participating in the Poetry Out Loud program have benefited from educational materials created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

The standards-based curriculum includes an online anthology, a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, and video and audio on the art of recitation. Schools are welcome to download the free resources at www.poetryoutloud.org. 

National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.
 
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative partnerships, prizes, and programs.
 
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) is a state agency, supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders.

To learn more about Poetry Out Loud in RI visit: www.Facebook.com/Poetryoutloudri/.