Poetry Out Loud

How Poetry Out Loud Works 

1. Students pick three poems from the approved anthology to practice and perform at a local competition.  
2. During the local competition, judges review and score the students on several criteria, including accuracy, performance, evidence of understanding, and more.  
3. Students who win their local competitions travel to Indianapolis to compete in the state finals. The winner of each state competition qualifies for Nationals, held in Washington, D.C. 

2026 Poetry Out Loud Finalists

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the 2026 Poetry Out Loud State Finals. Students gathered at the Indiana Historical Society on Feb. 21, 2026 to perform. Learn more about the students competitors and judges here.

Indiana’s State Finalist, Jayda Dawn from University High School in Carmel, will go on to compete in the Poetry Out Loud National Finals on April 27-29, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Good luck, Jayda!

2025-2026 Organizer Resources

Here are some important resources for Poetry Out Loud organizers looking to develop a competition at their school or in their community:

• Poetry Out Loud Anthology of eligible poems
• Teacher and Organizer Guide
• Lesson Plans & Teaching Resources
• PR Toolkit
• Judges Guide 
• Judges Training Video
• Indiana Competition: Informational Webinar Slides
• Other resources available at https://poetryoutloud.org/

Tips for Recruiting Students

If you’re organizing a local competition, the national organizers have developed a POL PR Toolkit to support you in getting the word out and recruiting students. In the guide, they recommend: 

• Post notices announcing the competition and champions at your school/organization and/or on your website, newsletter, student newspaper, or social media pages. Use the Poetry Out Loud logo to celebrate your involvement. 

• Announce classroom winners and the school-wide competition in the daily PA broadcast, at assemblies, or on the school’s YouTube channel. 

•  “Live Tweet” a Poetry Out Loud contest or share photos on Instagram. Remember to use the #POL26 or #IAmPoetryOutLoud hashtags.  

•  Arrange for a class to watch online or attend your region or state Poetry Out Loud competition.  

• After the event, send the local newspaper a follow-up press release highlighting the contest, your involvement in Poetry Out Loud, and photos from your event or photos of your local champions. 

• Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Use the letter to showcase your school or organization’s participation in Poetry Out Loud, and to discuss the benefits of taking part in a national program like this. 

How to Sign Up

Interested in getting involved in Poetry Out Loud next year? Information on the 2026-2027 competition season will be available in the fall of 2026. To stay up-to-date on all things Poetry Out Loud, fill out an interest form:

To submit your school or organization’s interest in participating in the 2026-2027 season, please fill out the school / organization interest form. 

If you are an Indiana high school student without a school competition interested in participating in Poetry Out Loud during the 2026-2027 academic year, please fill out the independent student interest form.