The aim of Poetry Out Loud is to encourage the study and appreciation of great poetry. Students engaged in the program not only learn about their literary heritage but also build self-confidence through mastering public speaking skills. Now in its second decade of national competition, Poetry Out Loud has inspired millions of high school students to discover the beauty and brilliance of the literary canon.
More than 310,000 students from 2,300 high schools took part in the 2016–2017 Poetry Out Loud program.
Since 2006, Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 4.1 million students and 68,000 teachers from 17,000 schools and organizations in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
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2025 El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud
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Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. In El Dorado County, the competition is administered by Arts and Culture El Dorado in partnership with the California Arts Council. A vehicle for inspiration and instruction, Poetry Out Loud provides students with a variety of resources to help them memorize,…
Read More2023 Poetry Out Loud El Dorado County Finals First Place Alison LeeOak Ridge High School Second Place Summer Smith Charter University Prep Third Place Gabrielle GarlickUnion Mine High School Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. In El Dorado County, the competition is administered by Arts and Culture El Dorado…
Read More2022 El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud First Place Kelsi Havercroft Union Mine High School Second Place Emily Lieber Oak Ridge High School Third Place Molly Grant Charter University Prep Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. In El Dorado County, the competition is administered by Arts and Culture…
Read MoreEl Dorado County’s county-wide Poetry Out Loud Final Competition was held Monday, February 1, 2021. Sponsored by the California Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud (or POL) is a nationwide poetry recitation competition, inviting High School Students throughout the nation to memorize, interpret, and recite acclaimed poems. Preparing a recitation allows students an intimate and thorough…
Read MoreOn February 6, 2020, the El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud championships were held at Imagination Theater. The tension was palpable and the excitement absorbing as five local high school students took the stage to compete for the privilege of advancing to the state Poetry Out Loud Finals in Sacramento. The evening began with a…
Read MoreOn Wednesday, February 6, 2019, five High School Poetry Out Loud Champions took to the stage at Imagination Theater to compete for the title of El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud Champion. The evening was filled with memorable recitations of poems from classic and contemporary poets. From William Shakespeare to Maya Angelou, T.S. Elliot to…
Read MoreOn Friday, February 9, 2018, six El Dorado County high school students converged on the Imagination Theater stage to compete for the title of El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud Champion. In the end, only one would move on to the State Finals in March to compete for the title of California State Champion. The house…
Read MoreEl Dorado County Champion, Zoey Eddy from Oak Ridge High School Eddy went on to compete in the State Finals in SacramentoMarch 13 and 14, 2017. L-R: Third Place, Alessandra Jester from Charter University Prep; First Place, Zoey Eddy from Oak Ridge High School; Second Place, Anna Salvestrin from Union Mine High School. L-R: Olivia…
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