Poetry Out Loud
What is Poetry Out Loud?
Poetry Out Loud® lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Through this program, high school students across the country participate in a dynamic poetry recitation competition that is designed to improve their public speaking skills, help build confidence and teach them about literary history and contemporary life. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud® provides free lesson plans and other educational materials to teachers and organizers, including an online anthology of 1,200 classic and contemporary poems.
The program starts at the local level with a school or participating organization. Winners then may advance to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the national finals. Awards and placements are determined solely by judges’ scores based on the Poetry Out Loud® Evaluation Criteria. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.4 million students and 81,000 teachers from 20,000 schools across the U.S. have participated in Poetry Out Loud®.
Poetry Out Loud® is presented through a partnership with New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, and Poetry Foundation.
Click Here for Poetry Out Loud® FAQ.
Timeline 2024-25
Participating schools can implement the program following their registration with New Mexico Arts. Below is a suggested timeline. Schools and organizations can go at their own pace as long as competition winners are submitted by January 24, 2025. State Finals take place on March 16, 2025, in Santa Fe.
- November 8, 2024: Deadline for schools and organizations to register for 2025 Poetry Out Loud.
- November & December: participants students are identified, work begins in classrooms/clubs/organizations), students select poems for memorization and recitation.
- January: School/Organization competitions are held. Where applicable, district-wide competitions will be held to select a winner to represent the district at the state finals.
- January 24, 2025: School/District winners reported to state coordinator and student poetry selections for state finals are due.
- March 16, 2025: New Mexico State Finals will be held in Santa Fe at the Lensic Performing Arts Center.
- May 5-7, 2025: National Finals will take place in Washington DC.
How Do I Get My School/Organization Involved?
Participating in the Poetry Out Loud program is FREE for both schools/organizations and students. An individual teacher, a group of teachers, the English or Theatre department or club, or an entire school decides to offer this opportunity to students. All materials and resources are provided free of charge.
Technical Assistance to launch your Poetry Out Loud program is available upon request.
For more information, contact New Mexico Arts Poetry Out Loud Coordinator, Kevin Lenkner at (505) 412-5791 or kevin.lenkner@dca.nm.gov
How Do I Teach It?
The NEA and The Poetry Foundation have created standards-based curriculum materials for participating schools to use. The Poetry Out Loud website offers resources for teachers including a teachers’ forum and the expanded online anthology of 1,200 poems.
The program is designed to take one to three weeks to implement in a classroom setting. Many teachers who have participated used Poetry Out Loud in addition to, or as an extension of, their existing curriculum.
State and National Prizes
At the state level, the first-place winner will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete for the national championship. The state champion’s school library will receive a $500 stipend toward the purchase of poetry books. The runner-up will receive $100, and $200 for their school library. The national competition awards a total of $50,000 in prizes and school stipends at the national finals. The national champion will receive a $20,000 prize.
Poetry Ourselves New Mexico
2025 Poetry Ourselves New Mexico is a statewide original poetry competition for students in grades 9-12. Students are encouraged to submit one original poem, typed and no longer than 50 lines. Poems may focus on any topic, but students should remember that winning entries may be presented to the public.
This creative writing competition does not require a performance or recitation. The following awards will be made at the Judge’s discretion; (1) Award of Creative Excellence, (3-5) Awards of Creative Merit. Award recipients will receive Poetry Ourselves award certificates, recognition at Poetry Out Loud State Finals event in Santa Fe on Sunday, March 16, 2025.
Poetry Ourselves New Mexico compliments the New Mexico Poetry Out Loud recitation program enhancing opportunities for students to study and perform masterworks of poetry.
Online submission of poem and entry form are due January 20, 2025.
Click here for the 2025 Poetry Ourselves Rules and Guidelines
Poetry Out Loud 2024
We are pleased to present this year’s nine state finalists from the 2024 New Mexico Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest.
New Mexico Poetry Out Loud is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation. It is produced and directed in New Mexico by the state arts agency New Mexico Arts, in accordance with our agreement with the Endowment.
Participants
Kaitlyn Lubega (STATE CHAMPION): UWC-USA, Montezuma
Teacher - Kate Riberio
Nakia Thomas (RUNNER UP): Carlsbad High School, Carlsbad
Teacher - Erin Armendarez
Ariana Thiel-Hadjilambrinos: La Cueva High School, Albuquerque
Teacher - Rosemary Hood
Seth McLaughlin: V. Sue Cleveland High School, Rio Rancho
Teacher - Daniel Schneider
Dante Salim: Volcano Vista High School, Albuquerque
Teacher - Desiree Montoya
Ulani Radtke: Arrowhead Park Early College High School, Las Cruces
Teacher - Kernie Zimmerman
Noor Kaur: Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School, Albuquerque
Teacher - Heather Blanchard
Jasper Goldberg: Public Academy for Performing Arts, Albuquerque
Teacher - Aimee Wray
Sama Lilo: Albuquerque School of Excellence, Albuquerque
Teacher - Ma. Gloria M. King
Kaitlyn Lubega: 2024 New Mexico Poetry Out Loud Champion
Jessica Helen Lopez: Event Coordinator
Michelle Laflamme-Childs: Femcee
Kevin Lenkner: Program Coordinator
EmiArteFlamenco Youth de Santa: Dance
Light Benders Visuals: Photos
Poetry Out Loud 2023
We are pleased to present this year’s ten state finalists from the 2023 New Mexico Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest.
New Mexico Poetry Out Loud is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation. It is produced and directed in New Mexico by the state arts agency New Mexico Arts, in accordance with our agreement with the Endowment.
Participants
Rutendo Musharu: UWC-USA, Montezuma (STATE CHAMPION)
Teacher - Kate Riberio
Robin Blakeman: Public Academy for Performing Arts, Albuquerque (SECOND PLACE)
Teacher - Aimee Wray
Esther Heerema: Arrowhead Park Early College High School, Las Cruces
Teacher - Kernie Zimmerman
Livi Lent-Koop: V. Sue Cleveland High School, Rio Rancho
Teacher - Daniel Schneider
Michael Arrellin: Wagon Mound High School, Wagon Mound
Teacher - Julie Book
Rawan Lilo: Albuquerque School of Excellence, Albuquerque
Teacher - Ma. Gloria M. King
Finley Altman: La Cueva High School, Albuquerque
Teacher - Rosemary Hood
Rutendo Musharu: 2023 New Mexico Poetry Out Loud Champion
Jessica Helen Lopez: Event Coordinator
Michelle Laflamme-Childs: Femcee
Kevin Lenkner: Program Coordinator
Zaphica Jazz Band: Music
Pueblo Pojoaque Youth Hoop Dancers: Dance
Light Benders Visuals: Photos
