The annual Poetry Out Loud program is underway in junior and senior high schools across the nation. This year’s national theme is America 250.
Created by the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Poetry Foundation and the Montana Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud is a contest that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.This year’s national theme is America 250.
Beginning at the classroom level, winners can advance to a schoolwide competition, then to a regional competition, then the state finals, and ultimately to the National Finals. The months-long classroom exploration builds student confidence beyond the focus on literature.
Kaisa Edy is a Montana poet and is this year’s Poetry Out Loud outreach coordinator. Edy found poetry very young, and recalls a third-grade experience that set her pursuit.
“I forever really loved the way that words sound together and the music that you can make without the actual instrumentation or musicality in the background.”
We talked about her background as a practicing poet and the Montana Poetry Out Loud program’s opportunities for students across the spectrum, as it strengthens a variety of skills.
“I think what’s really fantastic about this program for students is that it can appeal to not just creative writing students that are after a creative writing experience, it can really open the door for students that might not naturally gravitate toward poetry… It’s a very nice opportunity to get them to test the waters, whether it be for performance or for writing, I guess, without much risk. There's definitely risk involved when you perform in front of people, but it’s a different level.”
Key dates for this year's Poetry Out Loud include Regional Events in early February, leading up to State Finals in Helena on March 7th. Nationals this year are in late April.
Montana’s 2025 Poetry Out Loud winners were Jake Dunker of Whitefish High and Eva Murray of Anaconda Jr/Senior High.
