NEA Spotlight: Making a Difference through the Power of Poetry

Nevada State Champion Lainey Henderson (right) recites a poem for Senator Harry Reid (Nevada) and his staff during a visit to Congress. Photo by James Kegley.

Poetry Out Loud (POL) encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to hundreds of high schools nationwide. During the 2007–2008 school year, more than 225,000 students from more than 1,500 schools took part in the program -- a partnership of the NEA, the Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies -- culminating in a national finals contest in Washington, DC.

Yet the selection of the national champion is not the end for the talented teens. Throughout the year, many of the state champions act as Poetry Out Loud ambassadors at home and across the country. Last April, 2007 Washington State Champion Olivia Seward recited poems at the NEA's Congressional budget hearing. This past September, 2008 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Shawntay Henry of the U.S. Virgin Islands joined award-winning actors Sam Waterston and Joan Allen and poets Robert Pinsky and Kevin Young in an evening of poetry honoring the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. And the Poetry Pavilion at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC, regularly features recitations from state champions. Over the summer, POL champions recite at governor's awards ceremonies, state fairs, and youth festivals.

In their own words, from an anonymous online survey, teachers and project coordinators who have taken part in Poetry Out Loud discuss how the program is transforming English classrooms and equipping students with skills for success that will last a lifetime:

"Poetry encompasses all that I teach. . . .When students can see the underlying meaning in literature, they learn more about themselves and about the world around them."

"If for no other reason, the search for 'just the right poem' exposes students to such a vast array of forms and poems that the benefits are immeasurable. I heard more poetry being read aloud by students and more discussions about poems than I have heard in over 20 years of teaching!"

"The POL event was amazing. Despite initial resistance among the members of my class, only one student ‘opted out' of learning a poem. And as they got into the class competition more, some of them realized they had picked weak poems out of laziness, and so they changed to better, more difficult poems to learn in order to be more competitive. The peer support was also incredible. My students all were rooting for their classmates, and when one of mine actually won the school-wide contest, over half the class wanted to travel to the state contest to be there in the audience for him. All this over poetry! I have never seen such enthusiasm from students for poetry before. This is absolutely the best time I have had teaching poetry to my students in my 25-year career."

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