Poetry Out Loud 2026-2027 School Year Registration Now Open

The 2026-2027 school year marks the 22nd 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. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Poetry Out Loud takes place in all 50 states, American Samoa, the 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 helps students build public speaking skills, grow their confidence, and develop a lasting appreciation for poetry.

Throughout the fall, participating schools hold classroom and school-wide competitions, with winners advancing to Delaware’s state finals on February 18, 2027 at the Smyrna Opera House in Smyrna. Free, standards-based curriculum materials are available online for teachers to use in their classrooms, including an online poetry anthology, a teacher’s guide, and videos on the art of poetry recitation. All of these materials are free to access at PoetryOutLoud.org.

“Poetry Out Loud gives students an opportunity to experience poetry in a different way: to study it, make meaning from it, and bring it to life in their own voice. Along the way, students strengthen their reading, communication, and public speaking skills while building confidence in themselves. I encourage high schools and students across Delaware to participate. Every student deserves opportunities to find their voice, share what they have to say, and know the world is listening. They will be heard,” said Cindy Marten, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education.

“For 22 years, Poetry Out Loud has turned up remarkable young poets in every corner of Delaware, in our cities and our small towns, in public schools and private ones. The program gives them a place to be heard, and it reminds all of us how much talent lives in our schools. We are grateful to the schools and teachers who open that door, and we hope even more will join them this year,” said Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts.

“Being named state champion is a dream come true,” said 2026’s state champion Natalia Gatti. “The whole experience was surreal. Meeting people who share the same passion for poetry was easily the best part of the whole event.” 

Registration is open now and runs through October 30, 2026. Schools and organizations can register at arts.delaware.gov and are encouraged to contact Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud coordinator, Briana Henry (briana.henry@delaware.gov), to get involved.

How to Participate

Poetry Out Loud starts at the local level in Delaware classrooms, schools, and community organizations. Students memorize and recite poems they select from the Poetry Out Loud anthology of classic and contemporary poems. Winners advance to the Delaware state finals, held on February 18, 2027, and one finalist goes on to represent Delaware at the National Finals in Washington, D.C.

To register for the 2026-2027 program, schools and organizations should visit arts.delaware.gov or contact Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud coordinator, Briana Henry (briana.henry@delaware.gov). Students from all Delaware high schools are welcome to participate, including public, private, parochial, independent, charter, and homeschool.

The 2027 Poetry Out Loud National Finals will take place April 26-28, 2027 in Washington, D.C. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed at the national level, including a $20,000 award for the National Champion. Mid Atlantic Arts provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals.

More than Two Decades of Impact

Poetry Out Loud launched at the start of the 2005 school year as a first-of-its-kind national poetry recitation program for high school students. Since the program began, more than 4.5 million students across the country have participated. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Out Loud is administered at the state level by the state and jurisdictional arts agencies and managed in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts.

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.

A comprehensive list of Delaware state finalists is below:

Year	State Finalist	School
2026	Natalia Gatti	Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences
2025	Olivia Stevens	Mount Sophia Academy
2024	Maiss Hussein	Hodgson Vo-Tech High School
2023	Maiss Hussein	Hodgson Vo-Tech High School
2022	Natalie Kim Ramos	St. Mark’s High School
2021	Rebecca Wisniewski	Milford High School
2020	Camille Decker	Sanford School
2019	Chelsea Anoyke-Agyei	Hodgson Vo-Tech High School
2018	Samuel McGarvey	Tall Oaks Classical School
2017	Cecilia Ergueta	Wilmington Friends School
2016	Hannah Sturgis	Polytech High School
2015	Hannah Sturgis	Polytech High School
2014	Kathleen Becker	Red Lion Academy
2013	Jordan McMillan	Sanford School
2012	Elizabeth Landon	Wilmington Christian School
2011	Hannah Glavin	Wilmington Christian School
2010	Alex Cumminsky	Middletown High School
2009	Tonisha Jones	Middletown High School
2008	Tonisha Jones	Middletown High School
2007	Daniel Foster	Delmar High School
2006	Simone Seal	Padua Academy

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 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.