20 years of Poetry Out Loud! Have your students had the chance to participate?

Can you believe we’re closing in on the end of 2024 and that Poetry Out Loud is celebrating 20 years? We’re planning some special things this year, and we’d love to welcome you and your students to the program. All South Dakota high school students are eligible to compete in the program.

If you’ve participated before and know how it all works, you’ll find updated information and important dates below. If you’ve been thinking about incorporating the program into your students’ experience, now is the time! I’m happy to help you get started and walk you through the process! Please reach out for assistance!

Please direct any questions, comments, or concerns to rebecca.cruse@state.sd.us

Resources for teachers and organizers

The digital Guide for Teachers and Organizers is now available. It is recommended to look through this guide, even if you have in the past. You can also make use of our ready-made Lesson Plans to introduce Poetry Out Loud in your classroom! Please peruse the Poetry Out Loud website, specifically the Teachers and Organizers tab for more information and resources.

If you’ll be holding a school competition to determine your local champion, take advantage of the POL PR Toolkit for fantastic ideas and resources!

Help your students select great poems for competition. They can get started now by browsing the online anthology by poet, poem title, or theme! If you still have a copy of the old print anthology, all poems included are eligible for competition, even if they aren’t online.

Please share this information with anyone you know who may be interested in Poetry Out Loud! More to come next week!