Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud® lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Read, Recite, Share Your Voice! Get involved today!

SCCT will host a regional Poetry Out Loud competition for students in the Upstate, Olde English or Western Piedmont hubs

Saturday, January 9th, 2027, at 1pm.

Upstate (Anderson, Greenville, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens & Spartanburg) Olde English (Cherokee, Chesterfield, Chester, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Union & York) and Western Piedmont (Abbeville, Aiken, Edgefield, Greenwood, Newberry, McCormick & Saluda)

Read below to learn more about how to get involved!

Info for Students

Students interested in competing in Poetry Out Loud who do not attend a participating school must attend the Individual Regional Competition

Saturday, January 9th, 2027

1pm at South Carolina Children’s Theatre

153 Augusta Street, Greenville, SC 29601

Grade Level: Only currently enrolled students in grades 9-12 are eligible, with an exception made for 8th-grade students participating in a 9th- through 12th-grade class.
State Finals: A student may not advance to the state finals without competing in a lower-level competition.
Legal Participation Requirements: No student may be excluded from participating in Poetry Out Loud on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, or national origin. Schools may determine eligibility for classroom and school level Poetry Out Loud programming pursuant to local and state law.
Each student will select two poems to recite from the approved Poetry Out Loud Anthology. For SCCT’s Individual Regional Competition, one poem must be 25 lines or fewer, and one must be published before 1930.
What It’s Like to Compete: A helpful overview of what a student might experience when competing in a Poetry Out Loud Competition.
Tips on Reciting: comprehensive overview of reciting poems and evaluation criteria.

Info for Teachers

Poetry Out Loud is a fun and dynamic way to introduce students to poetry.

All types of high schools are welcome to participate as well as homeschool students. Non-school organizations, such as after-school clubs, libraries, or nonprofit organizations may choose to run Poetry Out Loud as well.

If you are teacher who would like more information, please sign up here–> F Y27 Poetry Out Loud Interest
If you are teacher who plans to host a school-wide competition at your school, you must fill out this Registration Form for Schools and Organizations by Thursday, December 31st, 2026
For schools who have hosted a school-wide competition, this form must be completed once their competition is complete Report Form for Schools/Organizations by January 22nd, 2027
State Finalists should fill out the State Finalist Registration Form by January 29th, 2027
Click here to see the National Poetry Out Loud Teacher’s Guide
See this page for details about staffing the competition
Find out more about judging the competition here
National Poetry Out Loud website

Want to find out more?

Poetry Out Loud® lifts poetry off the page, creating community, and connection. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.5 million high school students have participated in this dynamic poetry recitation competition. Poetry Out Loud can help students improve public speaking skills, build confidence, and grow their appreciation for poetry.

POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINAL COMPETITION

Saturday, March 6, 2027, 2:00 pm ET in Columbia, SC for the winners at the regional or school competitions

NATIONAL SEMI-FINALS and NATIONAL FINALS

April 26-28, 2027 in Washington, DC

National Semi-Finals

Tuesday, April 27, 2027, from 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM ET

*Champions from each state will perform in one of three semifinal groups (South Carolina at 9:00 AM ET)

The top three students from each semifinal group will move on to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals

National Finals

Wednesday, April 28, 2027, at 7:00 PM ET

What are the prizes?

National Level: A total of $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends will be given at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, including a $20,000 award for the National Champion, $10,000 for 2nd place, $5,000 for 3rd place, and $1,000 for 4th-12th places. The representing schools/organizations of each of the top twelve finalists receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials.

State Level: Each winner at the state level receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip (with an adult chaperone) to Washington, DC, to compete at the National Finals. The state winner’s school/organization receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state receives $100, with $200 for their school/organization.

If you need any assistance at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to Jesse Siak — jesse@scchildrenstheatre.org.

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