PF/PCA invites you to participate in Pennsylvania’s 2017Poetry Out LoudContest!

You are invited to join other high schools across the country for the annual Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest (POL). Your high school’s champion will participate in one of the 14 regional finals from around PA and these14champions will participate in the state finals in Harrisburg on March 6, 2017. PF/PCA’s Arts in Education/POL service region includes Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties. The state champion will travel expense-free to Washington, DC for the national finals.

Poetry Out Loudencourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Free, standards-based curriculum materials are available for schools, teachers, and students. You can see the Teacher’sGuide atPoetry Out LoudOR request a free hard copy from Mary Brenholts, Director of Artists in Schools & Communities at PF/PCA.

  • Studying literature, including poetry, addresses at least three Anchor Assessments as per the PA Core ELA Standards: Speaking and Listening (SL. 9-10, SL 12-11), Reading (RL. 9-10, RL 11-12), and Language (L. 9-10, L 11-12). You may refer to theTeaching Resources portion of the POL websitefor more ideas and information on how to incorporate Poetry Out Loud into your curriculum.
  • The Teacher’s Guide offers suggestions so that you can customize the program to meet your time & schedule constraints.
  • Teachers have access to many resourcesincluding lesson plans and the Teacher’s Guide to help them teach recitation and performance.
  • Teachers and studentshave access to websitesupport materials that include more than 600 poems, media guides and more.

Getting Involved

  • Individuals or groups of teachers, a school club, or the entire school may participate.
  • Teachers can determine the extent of their participation – from incorporating POL into a unit of study(perhaps culminating in recitations by each student in front of the class) to offeringPOL as an extra credit or after school project; use some or all of the lesson plans offered on-line or in the free teacher’s guide.

Whatever type of program you plan to implement, the end resultshould be one winner from your school who will participate in the regional contestscheduled for Saturday, February4, 2017 at Pittsburgh Filmmakers Melwood Screening Roomwith February 11as a snow date.

What Must Students Do?

Choose a poem from the POL on-line anthology to memorize and recite. (Some poems in print have been “retired.”)GO TO

  • Recitations may not include props, costumes, or music. Some gestures and minimal movement may, however, be appropriate to a given poem.
  • Each school’s winner will participate in the regional contestonFebruary4 in Pittsburgh.
  • Participants will prepare three (3) poemsto recite for the regional contest.
  • The regional winner(s) will participate in the state conteston March6,2017.
  • The state winner will receive $200 and an all-expense paid trip (with a chaperone) to Washington, DC to compete for the national championshipin May 2017.
  • The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend to purchase poetry books. A runner-up in each state will receive $100 with $200 for his/her school to purchase poetry books.

Questions?

ContactMary Brenholts at 412-361-0455, ex 368or r visit

Please complete the 2016-17 Intent to Participate Formandreturn it to Mary by January6, 2017 (sooner is better!)so we cankeep you informed!