Poetry Out Loud

Memorizing a poem is a "chance to make a friend for life." - John Barr, President of the Poetry Foundation

Poetry Out Loud NEIU 19 Regional Competition
March 3rd, 2008
7 p.m.
Mellow Theatre, Lackawanna College, Scranton, PA
(for directions: http://www.lackawanna.edu/mellow/directions.html)

FREE and Open to the Public! Don't Miss this Great Poetry Event!

Eight high school students from schools all over the region will recite great poems in the NEIU 19 Regional Competition of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest.

Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to memorize and perform great poems. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theatre into the English class. This exciting new program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

The competition begins at the classroom level, with winners advancing to school-wide, then regional, state, and ultimately to the National Finals in April where the winner will receive a $20,000 scholarship prize.

The regional competition, sponsored by Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, NEIU 19, Lackawanna County Office of Arts and Culture, Wilkes University, Keystone College, and the Mellow Theatre, will be held on Monday, March 3rd at 7 p.m. at the Mellow Theatre in Scranton. Eight schools will bring one student each to compete in the semifinals. One will be chosen to advance to the state level competition to be held March 12th at the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg. The winner of the final state competition will receive an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. (with a chaperone) to compete in the National Poetry Out Loud Competition to be held on April 29th, 2008.

For more information about Poetry Out Loud, please visit: Poetry Out Loud