VA Region 1 Poetry Out Loud first place winner is Kylee Kilbourne of Union High School in Big Stone Gap, Va.
Abingdon, VA - On February 6, the Virginia Region 1 Poetry Out Loud competition was held on Barter Theatre's Stage II in Abingdon.
The first place winner is Kylee Kilbourne of Union High School in Big Stone Gap. Second place went to Sarah Poole of John S. Battle High School in Bristol. Both young women were finalists in 2011 as well and will advance to the Poetry Out Loud state final competition in Richmond on March 15, 2012, to compete for the title of Virginia's State Champion.
Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest designed to encourage the nation's high school students to learn about great poetry though memorization and performance. The program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. Winners advance through school-wide competition, regional competition, state competition and ultimately, to the National Finals in Washington, DC.
Virginia's 2009 Champion, William Farley III of Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, became the the 2009 Poetry Out Loud National Champion, winning the top prize of $20,000. In 2012, Tia Robinson of Rappahannock High School, Warsaw, was one of nine finalists at the national level, winning more than $2,000.
The state winner will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. A runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with the Virginia Commission for the Arts, Foster Billingsley, deputy director, and the Theatre IV and Barksdale Theatre to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Barter Theatre is proud to be the partner theatre in Arts Area Region 1.
For more information on Poetry Out Loud, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.
