NASHVILLE, TN - Twenty-two Tennessee high school students from across the state participate in the 2016 Tennessee Poetry Out Loud State Contest March 19 in Nashville. The contest winner will go on as state champion to compete in the National Finals May 2-4 in Washington, D.C.
East Tennessee competing students include Daysha Collins, University School, Johnson City and Caroline Garber, Providence Academy, Johnson City.
The Tennessee Arts Commission hosts the state contest from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Nashville Children's Theatre. This event is free and open to the public.
Poetry Out Loud is a National Recitation Contest presented by The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Tennessee Arts Commission. Students learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition as they master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
The state champion and his/her teacher will receive cash prizes and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete for the national championship.
The first runner-up and his/her teacher will receive cash prizes and the school will receive a stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Poetry Out Loud will award a total of $50,000 in cash and school stipends at the National Finals, including a $20,000 award for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
For more information on Poetry Out Loud in Tennessee, visit tnartseducation.org
For more information on the National Poetry Out Loud Contest, visit poetryoutloud.org
