The Illinois Arts Council Agency invites all Illinois high schools to participate in the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest 2016. Now entering its 11th year, Poetry Out Loud (POL) has inspired hundreds of thousands of students to discover a broad spectrum of classic and contemporary poetry.

The registration deadline for schools to participate in POL is January 15, 2016. Interested teachers may visit www.arts.illinois.gov/poetry-out-loud  to register.

Through POL, students advance from classroom contests, through regional finals, to compete at the State Final to be held in Springfield on March 11, 2016. POL will award cash prizes to the Illinois champion, runner-up, and stipends to their schools for the purchase of poetry books. The Illinois Champion will compete at the National Finals in Washington, DC, May 2-4, 2016.

A comprehensive POL website offers free curriculum materials to teach recitation and performance, rules for setting up school POL contests, and student eligibility requirements: www.poetryoutloud.org.

Direct any questions to Susan Dickson at the Illinois Arts Council Agency at 312-814- 6740 or susan.dickson@illinois.gov .

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