Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Rather than being a simple exercise in memorization, learning to recite poetry encompasses college and career ready skills, including structural analysis, interpretation of meaning, point of view, close-reading and the use of higher order thinking skills. The National Poetry Out Loud program is continuing to update the Poetry Out Loud Anthology through September 1, 2026, for the 2026-2027 school year. Please note: poems included in the 2025-2026 may not all be included in the online anthology for this year, and new poems may be added. 

Registration will open online in August 2026 with the Alaska State Competition to take place in Juneau in March 2027, and the National Competition in Washington, DC at the end of April 2027!

We encourage all to participate, whether you’re representing your school or participating as an individual. We intend participation in Poetry Out Loud to be simple and accessible to all! Both public and private schools are eligible to participate in the Alaska Poetry Out Program. Alaska students currently enrolled in grades 9-12 are eligible to participate in Alaska Poetry Out Loud, with an exception made for 8th-grade students participating in a 9th- through 12th-grade class. For complete eligibility information visit the National Poetry Out Loud website

Summer A.H. Christiansen, AK POL Coordinator-Juneau Arts and Humanities Council
email: summer@jahc.org
phone: (907) 586-2787

Laura Forbes, Arts Education Program Director

Alaska State Council on the Arts
email: laura.forbes@alaska.gov
phone: (907) 269-6682

Tey Anderson-Johnson, Finance and Administrative Officer
Alaska State Council on the Arts
email: teshawn.anderson-johnson@alaska.gov
phone: (907) 269-6603