Winners of Poetry Out Loud state competition selected

Indiana Humanities announces the winners of the state contest of Poetry Out Loud®. The student winners are Eve-Marie Baxter from Pelican Academy Homeschool (South Bend) in first place and Jehanna Fisher from Early College High School (Evansville) in second place.

When asked how poetry has changed for her since she started competing in Poetry Out Loud, Baxter said, “Performing poetry is not just about a formal recital of the words but getting to know them and communicating that knowledge to the audience.”

Poetry Out Loud—presented in partnership with the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC), National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation—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. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.3 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud. On March 1, 11 high school students participated in the Poetry Out Loud contest in downtown Indianapolis.

At the Indiana Historical Society, students recited works selected from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy. The judges for this year’s competition were Indiana State Poet Laureate Curtis Crisler; local poet C.S. Carrier; Indianapolis-based facilitator, artist, and writer elle roberts; educator and artist Corey Ewing; and Bloomington poet Hiromi Yoshida, with Tony Brewer as the accuracy judge.

“Every year, I’m in awe of the raw talent and passion for poetry that each student brings to the stage,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “It’s a joy to see these students connect with each other during the event and we’re thankful for our partnerships with the Indiana Arts Commission, Poetry Out Loud, and the Poetry Foundation who help make this program possible.”

Eve-Marie Baxter will receive $200 and advance to the national Poetry Out Loud contest this spring in Washington D.C., where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. Pelican Academy Homeschool will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. Jehanna Fisher will receive $100, with $200 for Early College High School. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals.

The complete list of finalists for the state competition on March 1 is as follows:

• Trey Whitacre, Columbia City High School, Columbia City
• Kennedy Boeglin, Forest Park Jr. Sr. High School, Ferdinand
• Xavier Ogle, Richmond High School, Richmond
• Jehanna Fisher, Early College High School, Evansville
• Charlotte Wooton, Homestead High School, Fort Wayne
• Elle Strother, West Washington Jr. Sr. High School, Campbellsburg
• Kealy Baugher, Columbus Signature Academy New Tech, Columbus
• Eve-Marie Baxter, Pelican Academy Homeschool, South Bend
• Ayooluwa Akande, Franklin Central High School, Franklin
• Sarah L. Castro Marchel, Bloomington High School South, Bloomington
• Bobbie Graves, Switzerland County High School, Vevay

You can view photos from the event here.

Learn more about Poetry Out Loud visit their website.