COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the third year, South Carolina is sending one of its top students to Washington, D.C., for the chance to win a $20,000 scholarship prize based on her superior ability—not to shoot hoops or hit home runs—but to recite poetry. A'derrica Roseboro, a student from York Comprehensive High School in York County, will represent the state in the 2008 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. POL is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
On April 28 and 29, Roseboro will match her skills with 51 high school students from every state, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands at George Washington University Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C.. These students are among more than 150,000 students nationwide who took part in this year’s contest at the classroom level, progressing through school and state contests en route to becoming their state’s champion.
The Poetry Out Loud National Finals will award a total of $50,000 in scholarship prizes and school stipends for the purchase of poetry books. Prizes include $20,000 for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion, and $10,000 and $5,000 for the second- and third-place finalists. Each state-level final has awarded $1,000 in cash prizes to the champion, runner up, and their schools. In total, Poetry Out Loud will award more than $100,000 to state- and national-level winners.
“Through Poetry Out Loud, thousands of students have discovered the rewards of memorizing a favorite poem and the thrill of connecting with an audience,” said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. “This experience not only teaches them about literature, it also builds self-assurance and the practical skills that students will use every day in the workplace and in the community.”
On April 28, students grouped in three geographic regions will compete in semifinal competitions. Twelve students (four from each region) will advance to compete in the National Finals on April 29. Judges will evaluate each student performance on criteria including physical presence, articulation, evidence of understanding, level of difficulty, and accuracy. Students choose three poems to recite from the Poetry Out Loud print and online anthologies (www.poetryoutloud.org). Some of the poems that have helped bring state winners to the National Finals are “The Meaning of the Shovel” by Martín Espada, and “Time Does Not Bring Relief: You All Have Lied” by Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Contests and Prizes
Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Between September 2007 and February 2008, teachers at schools across the country introduced students to the poems and educational resources, later conducting classroom and schoolwide competitions. State contests were held in February and March; those champions advanced to the National Finals in Washington, DC. Poetry Out Loud has expanded on several fronts this year. This year, the U.S. Virgin Islands has joined the nationwide competition. State programs across the country have expanded geographically, reaching new schools and students. Since last year’s contest, the number of schools in the official contest has increased by 30 percent to more than 1,500 schools in 2008. An estimated 150,000 students have participated in the 2007-2008 Poetry Out Loud competition.
Poetry Out Loud Partnerships
The National Finals are the culmination of efforts by many partners. As national partners, the NEA and the Poetry Foundation have contributed support for administration of the program, educational materials, and prizes for both the state and national finals. State arts agencies implemented the program in high schools in each state and organized state competitions, often in collaboration with local arts organizations. For more information about the program sponsors, please visit www.nea.gov, www.poetryfoundation.org, or www.SouthCarolinaArts.com.
About S.C. Arts Commission
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission is celebrating 40 years of increasing public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.