Delaware Division of the Arts Announces 12 Finalists for Delaware’s 2025 Poetry Out Loud State Finals

Posted on January 22, 2025

Wilmington, Del. (January 22, 2025) – Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns to the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 6:00pm. Twelve student finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC from May 5-7, 2025, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. The event is FREE to the public and seating is limited.

At their school, students selected and recited works from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Their teachers or facilitators ran their school’s local Poetry Out Loud competition that then selected a winner to be moved on to the state finals.

 “Congratulations to the twelve talented and creative high school students who have been selected as finalists in the 2025 Delaware Poetry Out Loud competition,” says Division Director Jessica Ball. “Your hard work and passion for the arts is truly inspiring. The arts play a critical role in creating well-rounded individuals, fostering imagination, creativity and critical thinking skills that are essential to success in all aspects of life. Keep up the great work and we can’t wait to see where your passion for the arts takes you in the future.”

The eleven finalists are:

Cale Cooper, Delaware Valley Classical School

Trinity Gbolo, MOT High School

Becca Hurwitz, Concord High School

Brooke Kennedy, Saint Mark’s High School

Abby Krape, The Sanford School

Carmen Mestre-Tlacuatl, Delcastle Technical High School

Cathy Mosely, Paul M. Hodgson Vo-Tech High School

Elias Olvera, Cape Henlopen High School

Anawo (Nife) Olunifemi, Sussex Central High School

Kalor Pewee, First State Military Academy

Chase Reynolds, Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences

Olivia Stevens, Mount Sophia Academy

Delaware State Finals

Date: February 20, 2025

Location: Smyrna Opera House, 7 W South St, Smyrna, DE 19977

Time: 6:00pm-9:30pm

Press seats, photos, and interviews are available upon request to Andrew.Truscott@delaware.gov.

About Poetry Out Loud

The 2024-2025 school year marks the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud^®, an arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students that lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud takes place in all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In addition to $50,000 in prizes and stipends awarded annually to competitors and their home communities—including a $20,000 prize for the National Champion—Poetry Out Loud provides free poetry education resources nationally, including lesson plans and other educational materials for teachers and organizers, tips on reciting, and an online anthology of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems.

Delaware high schools and organizations are encouraged to contact Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud state coordinator Dr. Traci Currie (Traci.Currie@delaware.gov) to get involved in 2026’s competition.

20 Years of Impact

In 2004, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts began developing and piloting a first-of-its-kind national poetry recitation program for high school students; Poetry Out Loud launched at the start of the following school year in 2005. Since then, the program has reached more than 4.4 million students and 81,000 teachers from 20,000 schools across the nation.

“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud, we honor the program’s lasting impact on students. Through the power of words and performance, young people are developing public speaking skills and self-confidence, the ability to connect with peers and leaders, and an appreciation for diverse perspectives and interpretations of the world around us. These are skills that will serve them well in any career or endeavor they may choose to pursue,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We extend our gratitude to our partners at the Poetry Foundation and the stewards of this program—the students, educators, parents, and our state coordinators—and look forward to working together through many more years of Poetry Out Loud.”

A study completed in 2020 found that participation in Poetry Out Loud can help schools become more vibrant learning spaces and support students in their academic, literary, and social-emotional development.

“I want to underscore how special Poetry Out Loud is as a platform for expression and learning for our nation’s youth,” said Michelle T. Boone, Poetry Foundation president and CEO. “Participants go beyond developing an appreciation for poetry—they discover how it can be a powerful tool for building compassion and empathy, self-reflection, and finding meaning in the world. Each time I attend a recitation, I learn more about what is important to this generation and come away with a new understanding of familiar poems as presented through their voices. I eagerly look forward to another 20 years of Poetry Out Loud.”

“For two decades, Poetry Out Loud has been a transformative experience for Delaware’s youth, fostering a deep appreciation for the spoken word while nurturing essential life skills like public speaking, creativity, and confidence,” said Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “Our state finalists represent the immense talent, passion, and cultural diversity within our schools, and their recitations bring poetry to life in ways that inspire us all. As we celebrate 20 years of this remarkable program, we are proud to continue supporting students as they explore and share their voices through the power of poetry.”

Previous Delaware Winners

Since 2006, seventeen students have claimed the title of Delaware’s state finalist, with three of those seventeen winning the competition twice in a row.  A comprehensive list of winners is below:

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About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. Visit Arts.gov to learn more.

About the Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation recognizes the power of words to transform lives. The Foundation works to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry. Follow the Poetry Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and Poetry magazine on Twitter.

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.