Poetry Out Loud Registration
Poetry Out Loud Registration supports Kentucky high schools with teaching artist residencies, curriculum resources, and recitation competitions to build students’ confidence and public speaking skills.
Funder: Kentucky Arts Council
Due Dates: October 3, 2026 (Registration) | November 18, 2026 (Application) | January 29, 2027 (State finals registration) | March 10, 2027 (National finals registration)
Funding Amounts: Fully funded teaching artist residency; student prizes of $100–$20,000 and school/organization awards of $200–$500
Summary: Supports Kentucky high schools with teaching artist residencies, free curriculum resources, and poetry recitation competitions.
Key Information: Acceptance is first-come, first-served as resources allow; schools must coordinate a residency and schoolwide competition.
Description
Poetry Out Loud is a National Endowment for the Arts program offered in partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council and administered nationally by Mid Atlantic Arts. It brings poetry off the page through classroom recitation and competitions, helping high school students develop public speaking skills, build confidence, and explore literary history and contemporary life.
Participating Kentucky schools receive a fully funded interactive residency with a professional teaching artist, plus free teacher guides, lesson plans, promotional content, and multimedia curriculum materials. A coordinating teacher integrates recitation into classroom learning and organizes a schoolwide competition. School champions can advance to state finals and, if selected, national finals, performing classic and contemporary poems from the official Poetry Out Loud anthology.
