Poetry Out Loud Finals

We start at 10am. This event will feature local poets and 8 student performances from:

Los Osos High School – Rancho Cucamonga

Encore Charter High School– Hesperia

Big Bear High School – Big Bear Lake

Norton Science and Language Academy – San Bernardino

Our local winner will advance to the statewide finals in March 2023!

About Poetry Out Loud

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered statewide by the California Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Participants master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. California’s Poetry Out Loud is the largest event of its kind in the U.S., and has grown steadily since its inception.

How it works

The structure of Poetry Out Loud is similar to a spelling bee. This annual program starts in the fall, with high school teachers using the free Poetry Out Loud teacher toolkit and related materials to teach poetry recitation and run classroom competitions. Classroom winners advance to a schoolwide competition; school champions compete at the district or county level by mid-February. County winners are then treated to an unforgettable two days at the California Poetry Out Loud State Finals in Sacramento, and a chance to compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C.

The California state champion receives:

• $200 cash prize and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

• $500 for their school to purchase literary materials

• An opportunity to compete at the National Finals for college scholarship funds

Arts Connection is the Arts Council for San Bernardino County and we are proud to lead facilitation of the county-level competition and support Poetry Out Loud for our local high-school aged students.