4,500 Michigan Students Participate in Poetry Contest
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- January 26, 2010
CONTACT: Scott Hirko, Public Relations Officer,
shirko [at] mihumanities.org, 517-372-0029 ext. 25
also in PDF (with list of particpating schools).
30 school champions to be invited to participate in state championship on March 6 in Lansing
(LANSING)-----More than 4,500 students from 30 Michigan high schools are participating in the state’s fifth annual Poetry Out Loud state poetry recitation competition. English and language arts teachers at each participating high school have incorporated poetry into their classrooms using curriculum materials and audio CDs of poetry recitations. Each school will select a student to participate in a statewide championship competition, to be held in Lansing on March 6, 2010. Awards will be presented to the best students reciting previously published works. The winning student will also represent the state of Michigan in a national competition. A list of schools and teachers participating in Michigan’s Poetry Out Loud is available here.
“The Michigan Humanities Council is pleased to see the continued growth and success of Poetry Out Loud, reaching thousands of high school students across the state,” stated Jan Fedewa, executive director of the Michigan Humanities Council.
Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers through poetry recitation and performance. The program builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form. Last year in Michigan, 97% of student participants who evaluated the program stated they developed their own individual interpretation of poems; 97% stated they understood and could explain different poetic elements; 87% stated they could see a connection between poetry and everyday culture. Since the 2005-2006 school year, more than 8,500 students have participated in Michigan’s Poetry Out Loud; last year, 32 schools and an estimated 2,725 students participated.
By February 5, 2010, teachers will select one student from their school to send to the state championship. The state competition is scheduled for March 6, 2010, at the Michigan Library and Historical Center. The winner will be named Michigan’s Poetry Out Loud representative for the national competition. The national competition will be held in Washington, DC, from April 25-27, 2010. State finalists will also be invited to participate in the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, May 13-15, 2010 in Kalamazoo.
The state winner will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the national competition. The winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The runner-up in the Michigan competition will receive $100, along with $200 for their school library. Scholarships and school stipends totaling $50,000 will be awarded at the National Finals, with a $20,000 college scholarship for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
Last year, junior Daniel Bellomy of Detroit Cass Technical High School won the state title and advanced to the national competition in Washington, DC. Previous state winners were Charles White of Forest Hills Central (Grand Rapids) High School in 2007-2008, Sarah Harris of Holt High School in 2006-2007, and Travis Walter of Holt High School in 2005-2006.
“This has become one of my favorite events of the year,” said John Bracey, executive director of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. “Watching and listening to these students compete is truly inspiring.”
“The level of talent is extraordinary and shows the role of quality arts education programs in our schools,” said Kim Dabbs, executive director of Michigan Youth Arts Association. “We applaud the students and educators for their achievements.”
Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the Michigan Humanities Council, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, the Michigan Youth Arts Association, and the Library of Michigan
About the Michigan Humanities Councnil
The Michigan Humanities Council, founded in 1974, is a private, non-profit organization, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Each year, the Council reaches tens of thousands of Michigan citizens by supporting humanities and cultural programming in hundreds of Michigan communities. For additional information, please visit: www.michiganhumanities.org or call 517-372-7770.
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