BY NATHAN QUEVEDO
MCOE
Registration is now open for Merced County Poetry Out Loud — the local chapter for the nationwide poetry recitation competition. Organized each year by Merced County Office of Education (MCOE) and Merced County Arts Council, the competition invites students from high schools across the county to compete for a chance to earn prizes and showcase their performance talent.
Students are asked to choose and memorize three poems from the bank of work at www.poetryoutloud.org and recite their selected poems for a panel of judges. The winner of the countywide competition will advance to the statewide championships in Sacramento.
“For the last several years, our students have really held their own in the competition and are making a name for themselves here in Merced,” said MCOE Arts Program Specialist Noelle Chandler. “We look forward to continuing to present strong competitors who understand the value of both poetry and performance.”
Poetry Out Loud, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is a nationwide arts education initiative that promotes poetry interpretation, recitation and performance in schools.
The deadline for students to register is January 9, 2025. Merced County Poetry Out Loud will take place at the MCOE Downtown Center on January 25, 2025.
