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MONTPELIER, VT—Nineteen high school students across Vermont were selected as school champions in the 2022 statewide Poetry Out Loud competition and will advance to the state finals, to be held March 14 at the Barre Opera House.
Presented in partnership with the Vermont Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry—both classic and contemporary—through memorization, performance, and competition. Since the program began in 2005, more than four million students across the country have participated.
Here in Vermont, for the 2022 Poetry Out Loud competition, 75 teachers from 19 schools across the state registered to bring the program to their classrooms, reaching more than 2,500 students.
Last year’s competition was held online due to the pandemic, but this year the event will be held in person. In-person attendance is limited at the event, which will be streamed live on the Vermont Poetry Out Loud Facebook page.
All 2022 judges are distinguished poets and performers. They are Sarah Audsley, poet; Susan Haefner, actor and teaching artist; John Hadden, actor and teaching artist; and Vera Escaja Heiss, former Vermont Poetry Out Loud champion.
Contestants will be evaluated on the following criteria: physical presence, voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, dramatic appropriateness, accuracy, and overall performance.
A state champion and one runner-up will be named, and participants with the five highest cumulative scores will be recognized.
The state champion receives $200 and advances to the national finals where $50,000 in awards and school stipends are distributed. The school of the state champion receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state receives $100, with $200 for their school/organization. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers the monetary prizes.
The 2022 National Semifinals will take place on Sunday, May 1, with the top nine semi-finalists advancing to the National Finals on June 5. Both the semifinals and finals will stream live at arts.gov.
To support the state’s Poetry Out Loud program each year, the Arts Council funds poetry recitation and creative writing workshops led by dynamic teaching artists and local poets.
“We are excited to bring students and teachers together this year, and despite the challenges they have faced this year, it is obvious that students have dug deep to select their poems and are eager to share their voice and their connections with poets and ideas with a wider audience,” said Troy Hickman, Vermont Arts Council education programs manager.
Vermont Poetry Out Loud is supported by the Poetry Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the state of Vermont.
For more information about Vermont Poetry Out Loud, visit https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/programs/poetry-out-loud.
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