Maryland's Poetry Out Loud program is live for the 2026-2027 year. Presented in collaboration between Maryland Humanities and the Maryland State Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry through recitation competitions 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 an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies and managed by Mid Atlantic Arts.
We invite high school teachers, librarians, and any nonprofit organizations that work with teen audiences to host a Local competition. Students can select poems of their choice from the official POL Anthology compiled by the National Endowment for the Arts and perform them for audiences.
On our website you will be able to find:
· The Intent to Participate form for local competitions
· Partner Information Session Dates & Times
· Important dates and deadlines
More resources, including a Guide to Hosting a Competition, Judging Criteria, and the full anthology are available at https://poetryoutloud.org/