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| Wyoming Poetry Out Loud champion Sara Ellingrod of Arvada-Clearmont presents "Chicago" by Carl Sandburg at the POL national finals in Washington, D.C., in May. Photo © James Kegley |
The
sign-up deadline for Wyoming Poetry Out Loud is January 11.
The program materials are available now from the Wyoming Arts Council. The school contests will take place through mid-February, 2013. The state finals will take place in Cheyenne March 4-5. Many of the program materials are also available on the web site at http://www.poetryoutloud.org/.
POL builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form,
encouraging the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization
and performance. Students can work on mastering comprehension, public speaking,
acting, performance, drama and English skills while building self-confidence
and internalizing our rich literary heritage.
Last
year, 11 schools from across Wyoming participated in the program. Sara
Ellingrod of Arvada-Clearmont, a second-time school winner, won the state
finals and represented Wyoming at the national finals in Washington, D.C. She became
one of only 53 students in a competition that involved 1,500 high schools and
365,000 students nationwide.
If a school is interested in participating in Wyoming’s
Poetry Out Loud competition, or needs further information, please contact Linda
Coatney at the WAC, 307-777-6393 or Linda.coatney@wyo.gov.
