Poetry Out Loud is a national teen recitation competition for Colorado students grades 9-12
Congratulations!
2026 Poetry Out Loud
State Finalists & Winners!!!
2025-26 State Finalists
1st Row (Left to Right): DB Henderson, Coronado HS [POL 1st Place] | Kavilaya Gokulagiridaran, Peak to Peak Charter High School [ POL 2nd place] | Dallin Wightman, Liberty Tree Academy [ POL 3rd place]
2nd Row (Left to Right): Josh Blanchard, CCI Director | Jose Guerrero, Emcee | McKayla Sowell, Trinidad HS | Angelee Nunez, The Academy of Charter Schools | Rylee Conty, Swink School | Hakeem Furious, State Judge | Julianne Jensen, Smoky Hill HS | Radiance Bukari, Prompter | Addison Tellez, Roosevelt HS | Ashley Cornelius, State Judge | Nat Barrett, Colorado Academy | David Daniels, State Judge | Gia Gile, Colorado Academy | Claire Holcomb, Heritage Christian Academy | Selma Abdalla, DSST—Green Valley Ranch HS [PO State Winner] | Caleb Conway, Valor Christian HS | Keta Farmer, Canon City HS | Crisosto Apache, State Judge | Meca’Ayo, State Judge | Jesse Martinez, POL State Coordinator
2025-26 Poetry Out Loud State Winners
POL State Winners (From left to right)
2nd Place: Kavilaya Gokulagiridaran, Peak to Peak Charter High School
1st Place: DB Henderson, Coronado HS
3rd Place: Dallin Wightman, Liberty Tree Academy
2025-26 Poetry Ourselves State Winners
POS State Winner
Selma Abdalla
DSST-Green Valley HS
POS Runner-Up
Emily Mobley
Fort Morgan HS
2025-26 Sponsors & Partners
Let’s Get Started!
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Teachers:
School Registrations
Registration Opens: October 1, 2025 - January 10, 2026
Students (Based on Criteria)Individual Student Registrations
Registration Opens: October 1, 2025 - January 10, 2026
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Have students browse the poems.
PoetryOutLoud.org has an online anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Allow time for the students to explore the selections.
Students may choose to browse by poem, poet, or thematic collection.
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Have students select poems to memorize.
Allow students to choose poems that resonate with them. This will help them recite these poems effectively.
Memorizing the poems, helps students internalize the author’s message, feelings, language & ideas.
Discuss the poems. Understanding the text is the most important preparation for reciting poetry.
Recite it. Practice reciting your poem for family and friends.
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Model recitation skills.
• Recite poems yourself & study other student performances.
• Develop a list of bad habits that take away from the performance: projection, speaking too fast or too slow, monotone voice, fidgeting, excessive body language, and mispronunciations.
• Develop a list of successful recitation elements: projection, good pacing with pauses, voice inflection, evidence of understanding, correct pronunciation, and composure.
• For practice, play portions of the audio and the video examples at PoetryOutLoud.org or YouTube channel and lastly record and study yourself!
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Include creative writing exercises and write your own poetry.
Creative writing is a natural complement to Poetry Out Loud.
Participate in the Colorado Poetry Ourselves writing contest.
There are a number of optional writing exercises and lesson plans at PoetryOutLoud.org
Explore the Anthology
Words are Power: 2024 Competition Documentary
State champions join the National Competition in Washington, D.C. where they get to meet other passionate students, explore the city, and have the opportunity to win $50,000.
Colorado high school students bring poetry to life from the state finals to the big stage at Nationals in Washington D.C. in this documentary.
2025-26 Poetry Out Loud Program Registration
School Registrations
Registration Opens
October 1, 2025 - January 10, 2026
Poetry Out Loud is open to any school in Colorado serving grades 9-12.
Participating schools are encouraged to identify 2-3 teachers with one POL program coordinator to manage school finals, or act as the single point of contact for the school’s POL teachers. Exceptions may be made- Please contact us with questions.
Registered schools will work with a state coordinator to receive information about the Poetry Out Loud program, curriculum, and local and state competitions.
All students are eligible for participation and advancement in this program.
🗓️ DEADLINES
Registration deadline is January 10, 2026
Local/School Competitions must be completed by: February 1, 2026
Deadline for local competition winners to submit registration for State Finals and State Finals program fee due: February 13, 2026
Poetry Out Loud State Finals (Tentative): March 1-2, 2026 | Denver Center for Performing Arts— Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre
Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC: April 27-29, 2026
School Registration
is now closed!
Note: Please let students know that they can request accommodations for a disability. Teachers and organizers may refer to the Accessibility page on PoetryOutLoud.org for more information or contact their state coordinator for further assistance.
Individual Student Registrations
Registration Opens
October 1, 2025 - January 10, 2026
Individual students may register for the Colorado Poetry Out Loud Virtual Competition if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
The student is homeschooled in Colorado, or the student attends a high school in Colorado that is not participating or registered in Poetry Out Loud, or the student is a resident of Colorado attending an online, hybrid, or international school.
No more than 4 students from an individual school can register for the Poetry Out Loud Virtual competition. Otherwise, they must register as a school.
Students participating in the Poetry Out Loud Virtual competition will need access to a computer and reliable internet.
Individual Students will participate in the Poetry Out Loud virtual competition. The champion will go on to represent the Poetry Out Loud Virtual competition at the State Finals in Denver, March 2026.
🗓️ DEADLINES
Registration deadline is January 10, 2026
Note: Every individual registered must participate in the contest.Contest date-- this is the date your video submissions are due: February 1, 2026
Please submit your performance by the date listed. Videos will be reviewed and evaluated by February 7-9th
Winner announcements (Tentative): February 10, 2026
Deadline for competition winners to submit registration for State Finals: February 13, 2026
Poetry Out Loud State Finals (Tentative): March 1-2, 2026 | Denver Center for Performing Arts— Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre
Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC: April 27-29, 2026
Individual Student Registration
is now closed!
Note: Please let students know that they can request accommodations for a disability. Teachers and organizers may refer to the Accessibility page on PoetryOutLoud.org for more information or contact their state coordinator for further assistance.
Poetry Out Loud State & National Competition and Awards
State-Level
The state winner will receive $500 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington, DC to compete for the national championship.
The state winner’s school/organization receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state receives at least $100, with $200 for their school.
National-Level
At the national finals, a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends is awarded annually.
Poetry Ourselves
First and second place winners will receive a trophy and be given the opportunity to perform at the State-level competition
State Champions on stage at the National Poetry Out Loud Competition (Image: NEA).
Stay updated on deadlines, coaching opportunities, and more on our Instagram!
Explore Videos
View more “Lesson Plan Videos”
Colorado's Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment of the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, Colorado Creative Industries, and Empowered Consulting.