The student winners are Mary Cox and Taylor Edwards. Taylor Edwards will be MCHS competition winner performing at the State Finals on March 7th in Frankfort, KY as a schedule conflict inhibits Miss Cox from being able to attend the state competition. The competition, presented in partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council, 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 through memorization, performance, and competition.
On January 19th, six MCHS students participated in the school-wide Poetry Out Loud school contest at the Kenneth Shadowen Performing Arts Center performing their poetry for the audience and judges consisting of current and retired teachers, local area writers, and retired Arts Council Director. Students that competed at the school level were Cole S. Wyatt, Alyssa Hubbard, Lilly Stanton, Gracie Steffen, Taylor Edwards, and Mary Cox. Several other students chose and practiced reciting poetry and took part in the workshop provided by the grant funded the Kentucky Arts Council.
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC. Over the past 11 years, Poetry Out Loud has reached more than 3 million students and 45,000 teachers from 10,000 schools nationwide.
At Marshall County High School, students recited works they selected from an anthology of more than 900 classic and contemporary poems. Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy. Teachers introduced poetry recitation in the classroom using free, standards-based curriculum materials created by the NEA and the Poetry Foundation, including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation. Schools are welcome to download these resources at poetryoutloud.org.
The Marshall County High School winner, Taylor Edwards, will recite three selected poems at the state competition. Each champion at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, to compete for the national championship, April 25–26. The school of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials.
To learn more about the Kentucky Poetry Out Loud contest, contact Jean St. Johns or visit poetryoutloud.org.
