The Idaho Commission on the Arts will host the Idaho State Poetry Out Loud Finals on Saturday, March 7th, 2020 at the South Junior High Auditiorium in Boise from 4:30-7 p.m. Nine teen finalists from across the state will compete in the poetry recitation contest with a chance to participate in the national finals in Washington, D.C. Jodi Eichelberger, Artistic Director of Story Story Night, will emcee the evening. The event is free and open to the public. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with state arts agencies, including the Idaho Commission on the Arts to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.

In the 2019-2020 school year, Idaho has 2,933 students and 91 teachers participating in 27 high schools across the state. The winner of each school competition will advance to the State Final on March 7th. The Idaho State Finalist will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with a chaperone to Washington, D.C. to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school receives a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The first runner-up in each state receives $100, with $200 for his or her school library. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends is awarded annually at the National Finals.

In Brief
WHAT: Poetry Out Loud Idaho State Finals
WHEN: Saturday, March 7, 2020, 4:30-7 p.m.
WHERE: South Junior High Auditorium, 3101 Cassia St, Boise, ID 83705
INFO: arts.idaho.gov/poetry-out-loud/