Schools can participate in poetry recitation contest

The Nevada Arts Council in partnership with the Nevada Department of Education and the Nevada Alliance for Arts Education is accepting registrations from schools wishing to participate in the second year of Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation contest for high school students sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

Ten of Nevada's 17 school districts participated last year. The Nevada Arts Council is hoping to be the first state in the nation to have all school districts with high schools participating. Last year's Nevada State winner was Gibran Baydoun from Green Valley High School in Henderson.

John Barr, president of The Poetry Foundation noted, "...In the hands of the poet, our everyday speech becomes a musical instrument." Poetry Out Loud engages students in the dynamic aspects of the spoken word and theater through poetry recitation. The program encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about our literary heritage.

Once they register, teachers are provided with free multimedia curriculum materials-a poetry anthology, audio guide, teacher's guide, posters and comprehensive Web site: www.poetryoutloud.org which is all aligned to national standards.

School-level recitation championships advance to school district, state and national levels. The student winner and a chaperone from each participating school district will be reimbursed for their travel expenses to the State finals scheduled for March 24 in Reno to coincide with the Governor's Arts Awards and the Department of Cultural Affairs' Oasis Conference. The top three students at the State finals will receive cash prizes as follows: first place - $1,000, second place - $500, third place - $500. The schools of the top three students will receive cash prizes for literary supplies as follows: first place - $2,000, second place - $1,000 and third place - $1,000.

"Currently, the Nevada Arts Council is seeking Nevada high schools that want to participate in the Poetry Out Loud program," said Gary Margolis, Arts in Education program coordinator for the Nevada Arts Council. "We are seeking to partner with teachers and administrators in all Nevada school districts because we need their support to really make the program work and provide this fantastic opportunity to Nevada's students."

Registration forms and instructions are available on the Nevada Arts Web site: www.NevadaCulture.org or contacting Gary Margolis at gtmargol@clan.lib.nv.us or by calling Margolis at 687-7119.