These are the weeks in which poetry sings in our hallways and trips off the tongue of every student at Crossroads College Prep. Every student will memorize and recite a poem next week (January 12-15). The event is also a competition: a member of each grade is selected to perform on January 16th in front of the school. Crossroads students have done exceptionally well in this contest, competing and winning at the regional and state levels in the past years. We are very proud of Terry Watkins ‘12 and Essence Lee ‘14, our most recent winners at both levels.
From the Poetry Out Loud website:
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that starts at the classroom level. Winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals. Each winner at the state level receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult 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.