Poetry Out Loud
What is Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud® lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.5 million high school students have participated in this dynamic poetry recitation competition. Poetry Out Loud can help students improve public speaking skills, build confidence, and grow their appreciation for poetry.
In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the 2025-2026 Poetry Out Loud program will focus on poems that celebrate the rich tapestry of American history and culture. An updated list of poems for this year’s competition can be fond on the "Find Poems" tab of the Poetry Out Loud website.
How it Works
Using the Poetry Out Loud Teacher’s Guide, teachers incorporate poetry into their classroom curriculum while also preparing for school-wide poetry recitation competitions. Each school's winner is invited to compete at the in-person competition with a chaperone to participate in the Poetry Out Loud State Finals contest.
Each winner at the state level will be eligible to compete nationally and will receive $200 and their school $500 for poetry materials. One runner-up in each state will receive $100; their school will receive $200 for poetry materials.
More than $50,000 in prizes and school stipends are awarded annually at the National Finals in April, with the national winner receiving $20,000 in college scholarship funds.
How to Participate
Interested teachers may review the Poetry Out Loud classroom materials, poems, instructions and other resources at poetryoutloud.org. While teachers, students, and poetry lovers everywhere can use the Poetry Out Loud website to organize their own contests, the sanctioned contest is limited to the programs run by each states’ arts agency. Schools that would like to participate in Florida’s official Poetry Out Loud program and send a student to Florida’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals should register their school below.
Please contact the Division of Arts and Culture's Poetry Out Loud State Program Coordinator at 850.245.6351 for further assistance or for more information.
About the Program
Poetry Out Loud was started by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Beginning with a very successful pilot program in 2005, the program in Florida has expanded to include additional Florida school districts, including public schools, private schools, parochial schools and home-schooled students, throughout the state.
Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
For additional information, please check the National Endowment of the Arts and the Poetry Foundation’s website at poetryoutloud.org or contact Florida's State Program Coordinator via the information given below.
Important Dates
- January 9, 2026
Deadline to register your school's participation in Poetry Out Loud - January 29, 2026
Deadline to register your state finalist - March 7, 2026
State Competition, Tallahassee - March 12, 2026
Deadline for state champs and chaperones to register for National Finals - April 27-29, 2026
Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC
National Poetry Out Loud 2024 Champion
Niveah Glover
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
Jacksonville, FL
In 2024, Niveah Glover, a 12th-grade student at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida was the Poetry Out Loud National Champion! After reciting poems by Patricia Smith, Paul Laurence Dunbar and Ashanti Anderson, Glover was named champion during at the national finals in Washington, DC. As National Champion, Glover received a prize of $20,000.
Glover won the state competition on March 1 before going on to the nationals. In Florida, more than 6,000 students from 40 schools participated in Poetry Out Loud in 2024.
Click photo to watch Niveah Glover recite "We Wear the Mask" at 2024 Poetry Out Loud Nation Convention.
Contact
Florida Poetry Out Loud Program Coordinator
850.245.6351
