Poetry Out Loud
2025 Poetry Out Loud National Finals
Program Booklet | LIVE CAPTIONING: English | Spanish
The Poetry Out Loud National Finals, hosted by National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett, will take place on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET and will culminate with the live announcement of the 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
You can watch the free competition live in person at Lisner Auditorium, The George Washington University, 730 21st Street NW, Washington, DC, or online through a one-time-only webcast on this page. A total of $50,000 in awards and school or organizational stipends will be awarded at the National Finals, including $20,000 for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
Join the celebration on X (Twitter) and Instagram using #POL2025, #POL20Years, and #IAmPoetryOutLoud.
MEET THE 2025 POETRY OUT LOUD NATIONAL FINALISTS
Listen to the nine 2025 finalists recite a poem and talk about what they've gained by participating in the program on the NEA YouTube channel.
Study on Impact of Poetry Out Loud
Line by Line: Transforming Student Lives and Learning with the Art of Poetry presents findings from an evaluation of Poetry Out Loud that involves data collection from ten sample schools assessing the program’s impact on poetry appreciation and engagement, social and emotional development, and academic performance. A fact sheet summarizing the results is also available.
