Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud® lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Through this program, high school students across the country participate in a dynamic poetry recitation competition that is designed to improve their public speaking skills, help build confidence, and teach them about literary history.
An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with state and jurisdictional arts agencies and managed by Mid Atlantic Arts, Poetry Out Loud provides free educational materials to teachers and organizers, including an online poem anthology. Find your state contact on PoetryOutLoud.org.
Congrats to 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Jayda Dawn!
2026 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Jayda Dawn. Photo by James Kegley
On April 28-29, the 2026 state and jurisdications champions competed in the 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC. Jayda Dawn, an 11th grade student at University High School of Indiana in Carmel, Indiana, was named the 2026 Poetry Out Loud® National Champion.
As national champion, Dawn receives a cash prize of $20,000. The second-place 2026 Poetry Out Loud winner, Damien Deen, a 12th grade student at Washington High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, receives a $10,000 prize. The third-place winner, Jaden Conley, a 12th grade student at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, receives a $5,000 prize. The other six national finalists were Cassie Lumba (Alaska), Mallory Lott (Louisiana), Hadas Frish (New Mexico), Astrid Santos (Rhode Island), Oona Borovicka (South Carolina), and Joeltica Rogers (U.S. Virgin Islands). Each receives a $1,000 prize. The schools or organizations representing the top nine finalists each receive $500 to purchase poetry materials.
In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the 2025-2026 Poetry Out Loud program focuses on poems that celebrate the rich tapestry of American history and culture. Dawn recited poems by Langston Hughes, Alice Duer Miller, and Albery Allson Whitman during the national finals competition.
- Watch our video interviews and recitations with our nine national finalists by all of the 2026 National Finalists
- Watch the webcast of the April 29 Poetry Out Loud National Finals
- Watch the webcast of the April 28 Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals
- Program Book
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.
