Poetry Out Loud is now available without a school affiliation through non-profit host sites. Indiana Writers Center is excited to present this opportunity for teens from across the state of Indiana to be included in Poetry Out Loud through our competition.

Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies.

POL includes a recitation contest and a contest for original works. Indiana Writers Center will offer instruction and critique for the recitation contest, as well as creative writing workshops with published poets for teens involved, all free of cost.

Workshops will begin in December, and the competition will be held in late January. Students will have the opportunity to participate through Zoom, and can join from anywhere across the state. Each student will receive coaching, support, education about poetry and writing, a chance to create their own poems and work with published poets, and feedback on their performances. Workshops are scheduled to begin December 12, 2020. Students are still able to join after that date, and can receive one-on-one mentorship, as well as attend two workshops offered in January.

Those interested in joining Poetry Out Loud with Indiana Writers Center should send an email to poetryoutloud@indianawriters.org 

Eligibility Requirements:

- Students in grades 9-12 in Indiana who are not participating through a school can participate through IWC.
- All poems for recitation contest must be selected from the Poetry Out Loud print or online anthology.

State Awards:

- Each winner at the state level will receive $200 in prize money as well as the opportunity to compete at the National Finals. The state winner’s school will receive $500 for poetry materials. One runner-up in each state will receive $100; their school will receive $200 for the purchase of poetry materials.

National Awards:

- A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be given at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, including a $20,000 award for the National Champion.

This program is presented in partnership with the Indiana Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation.

Poetry Out Loud at Indiana Writers Center is led and organized by Kelsey Johnson.

Kelsey Johnson is an actor, writer and educator. She received her BFA in acting from Ball State University, graduating cum laude. After graduating she continued her education as an acting apprentice in the 2016-2017 Professional Training Company at Actors Theatre of Louisville. After the apprenticeship she moved back to Indianapolis and her career expanded into other things. She currently balances her time as a teacher, professional actor and the occasional spoken word poet. She has worked for Conner Prairie, the Indiana Writers Center, Indy Reads bookstore (through their AmeriCorps program) and as a classroom theatre teacher. When she’s not acting, writing or teaching, Kelsey can be found singing old spirituals with her grandmother, pouring over the poetry of Mary Oliver and getting lost in the woods.