The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation partner with state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a competition that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through analysis, memorization, and recitation. The program helps teens master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
The 2023 season marks the 18th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud. Since its inception, the program has grown to reach more than 4.1 million students and 68,000 teachers from 17,000 schools and organizations in every state, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In Illinois 2022 : 4597 students and 127 teachers from 28 schools participated.
Illinois Poetry Out Loud 2023 from Dave Cain / UMEDIA, Inc.
The Illinois Arts Council Agency works with these regional partners to produce Poetry Out Loud in Illinois:
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- Southern: ArtSpace 304
- Southwestern: Southwestern Illinois College
- Northern: Rockford Area Arts Council
- Eastern: 40 North/88 West
- Chicago and Suburbs: The Poetry Center of Chicago
- Central: Springfield Area Arts Council
- Western: Quad City Arts
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For more information, please visit www.poetryoutloud.org or call 217-753-3519, or you may email Central Illinois regional coordinator Sheila Walk at programs@springfieldartsco.org.
2023 Contest Dates:
National Finals – Tuesday, May 9th and Wednesday, May 10th
You can watch the national contest atwww.arts.gov/poetry-out-loud
2023 Illinois State Contest
YOHANNA ENDASHAW (Niles West High School) and THAD BERGSCHNEIDER (Franklin High School) placed first and second in the 2023 Illinois state Poetry Out Loud contest.
Fourteen other contestants and their schools were part of this year’s poetry recitation contest:
Sidney Bester (finalist) – Homewood Flossmoor
Sara Carter – Thomas Jefferson
Eliza Denham – Eureka
Vanali Desai – Stephen T. Mather
Rebecca Drake – Massac County
Leo Dunahee – Nashville Community
Brooklynn Haars – Orion
Veda Kommineni – Edwardsville Community
Adeleah Reynoso (finalist) – Taft
Mikira Rogers –Thomas Jefferson
Kate Roth (finalist) – Champaign Central
Wade Schacht – Champaign Central
Alex Walker –Edwardsville Community
Eleanor Wilbur – Orion
2023 Central Illinois Regional Contest
Left to right: Bergschneider, Dehnam
Photo by William Richards
Thad Bergschneider, Franklin High School, was winner and Eliza Denham, Eureka High School was runner-up at the Central Illinois Regional Contest.