2026 Poetry Out Loud: A National Poetry Recitation Competition for High School Students

The National Endowment for the Arts, managed in California by the California Arts Council, and regionally by the City of San Diego Cultural Affairs in association with Write Out Loud, present Poetry Out Loud a national poetry recitation competition for high school students.

The San Diego Regional Finals take place this year on Tuesday, February 3rd at 6 p.m. The event is free and the public is encouraged to join our student participants and their families at the Neil Morgan Auditorium at San Diego Central Library. The event will be live-streamed here https://www.youtube.com/live/qFg5aTrG0tQ

Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about great poetry—both classic and contemporary—through memorization, performance, and competition. Since the program began in 2005, more than four million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud.

For the 2026 Poetry Out Loud, students will present their recitations of works selected from the Poetry Out Loud Anthology. Performances are judged on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy. The National Endowment for the Arts has created free, standards-based curriculum materials to support Poetry Out Loud, including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation.

Write Out Loud offers in person and virtual poetry examination and performance workshops for students.

Visit: https://sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/poetry-out-loud-write-out-loud-462933