Mid-Columbia Libraries to Host Poetry Out Loud Regional Finals

The 2017-18 Regional Poetry Out Loud Champions. Photo by Jesse Gardner

Mid-Columbia Libraries announces the southeast Washington regional finals for the Poetry Out Loud, a national student recitation competition. Twelve students from six regional high schools will recite classic and contemporary poems on Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Mid-Columbia Libraries’ Kennewick Branch, located at 1620 S. Union St.

This event is free and open to the public. Participating schools include Delta, DeSales, Kamiakin, and Richland high schools, Mid-Columbia Partnership, and Walla Walla Valley Academy. Interlude music will be provided by Classical Guitar Society of the Tri-Cities.

The winner of this competition will advance to the state Poetry Out Loud contest in early March. The Washington state champion will advance to the Poetry Out Loud national finals beginning April 30 in Washington, DC, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.

The competition, presented in partnership with the Washington Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry—both classic and contemporary—through memorization, performance, and competition. Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has reached more than 3.6 million students and 55,000 teachers from 14,000 schools nationwide. Visit arts.wa.gov/arts-in-education/poetry-out-loud for more information.