For Immediate Release: November 15, 2007 Sheila Sears, Arts Education Consultant, 303-321-4936, POLinfo@state.co.us Youth Fuel The Resurgence Of An Oral Art Form Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest helps students meet Colorado State Standards

Denver, CO (November 15, 2007) - Poetry Out Loud is a standards-based recitation competition open to all high school students in Colorado. Presented by the Colorado Council on the Arts, a state agency, the contests are organized in a pyramid structure -- much like a spelling bee -- with awards and recognition for participating students and their schools. The deadline for entries into the state competition is February 19, 2008, with the finalists competing on March 4. Teaching materials and a special workshop for teachers are available at no cost. Schools may also have access to a free guest poet or theatre artist to work with participating classrooms.

"By memorizing a poem, a student gets a profound and intimate understanding of literature," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. "The experience of reciting a poem before their peers and the public also develops practical skills that students will use every day in the workplace and in the community."

One orator will win the 2008 Colorado State Champion title and will be awarded $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in April to compete for the national championship and a $20,000 college scholarship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books.

There will be a free Teachers’ Workshop on Saturday, December 1, 2007 to help educators teach poetry, help students choose poems that speak to them and coach students in memorizing and presenting poetry in public.

With the current focus on meeting state standards in Colorado, this program can help students in becoming proficient in reading and understanding a variety of materials, recognizing literature as a record of human experiences, and applying thinking skills to their reading, writing, listening and viewing -- all of which meet Colorado State Standards.

The Colorado Council on the Arts has partnered with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation to support Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. The program builds on the recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, and helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about our literary heritage. For complete information click here.