High Schools can now register for the 2026 Poetry Out Loud Recitation Competition

The national Poetry Out Loud Recitation Competition engages thousands of high school students each year, connecting them to great works of poetry, building self-confidence and public recitation skills. Each high school throughout the nation holds competitions to select a school champion who then goes on to compete at the state level. The state champion then heads to Washington, D.C., for the national competition and a top prize of $20,000.

The registration deadline for the 2025-26 school year is Monday, Nov. 17.

Participating R.I. schools receive curriculum resources including Teaching Artists’ workshops, an Anthology of over 1,000 works of poetry, lesson plans and access to expanded competition preparation materials. The program was co-founded by the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts and is sponsored by RISCA, which has participated in the competition for more than two decades.

Sign up your school today by contacting: Damont Combs, Program Director of Poetry Out Loud RI. Or filling out the form linked here.