POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS TO BE HELD IN BARRE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13th

Students from 38 Vermont high schools compete in poetry recitation contest.

Winner to represent the state in national competition.

Montpelier, Vermont -  Armed with strong voices and an arsenal of beloved poems, students from 38 Vermont high schools are headed to the Barre Opera House to compete in the poetry recitation competition Poetry Out Loud. The winner will represent Vermont at the national competition in Washington, D.C., on April 29-30, 2013.

Vermont’s state finals will take place on Wednesday, March 13^th at the Barre Opera House. Special guests include poet Major Jackson and Vermont Secretary of Education Armando Vilaseca, both of whom will be reciting poems. The day’s schedule is as follows:

• Region A Semi-Finals: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Region B Semi-Finals: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
• Finals: 4 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Vermont’s champion will receive a cash prize of $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to compete for the national championship. Their school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Students from 53 high schools – champions from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands – will compete for a total of$50,000 in scholarship awards and school stipends
at the National Finals.

There are numerous ways for people to engage in this year’s event:

• The competition at the Barre Opera House is free and open to the public
• A livestream of the full event will be available by visiting the Vermont Poetry Out Loud Facebook Page or clicking the following link:http://new.livestream.com/accounts/2917722/VermontPOL
• The competition will be live tweeted by @VTArtsCouncil using the hashtags #VTPOL and #pol13

The Poetry Out Loud program was created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, and is administered by the Vermont Arts Council. Now in its eighth year in Vermont, Poetry Out Loud has inspired hundreds of thousands of high school students to discover classic and contemporary poetry. The Poetry Out Loud program builds on the rising interest in poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the popularity of rap music. Students learn about great poetry while mastering public speaking skills and building self-confidence.

View the 2013 Vermont Poetry Out Loud promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPCQt97XeJ8
View the piece by Vermont Public Television featuring Rice High School’s competition:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8pc65Kc-z8&feature=youtu.be

2013 Participating Schools:

Addison County:

Mt. Abraham Union High School, Bristol

Middlebury Union High School

Bennington County:

Arlington Memorial High School

Burr and Burton Academy, Manchester

Mt. Anthony Union High School, Bennington

Caledonia County:

Danville School

Lyndon Institute

St. Johnsbury Academy

Chittenden County:

Burlington High School

Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg

Milton High School

Mt. Mansfield Union High School, Jericho

Rice Memorial High School, S. Burlington

South Burlington High School

Franklin County:

Bellows Free Academy, Fairfax

Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans

Missisquoi Valley Union High School

Lamoille County:

People's Academy, Morrisville

Orange County:

Chelsea Public School

Oxbow Union High School, Bradford

Randolph Union High School

Thetford Academy

Williamstown Middle High School

Orleans County:

Lake Region Union High School, Orleans

North Country UHS, Newport

Rutland County:

Fair Haven Union High School

Mill River Union High School, No. Clarendon

Otter Valley Union High School, Brandon

Washington County:

Harwood Union High School

Montpelier High School

Northfield High School

Spaulding High School

Windham County:

Brattleboro Union High School

Vermont Academy

Windsor County:

Black River High School, Ludlow

Green Mountain Union High School, Chester
Sharon Academy

Woodstock Union High School

Since 1964, the Vermont Arts Council has been the state’s primary provider of funding, advocacy and information for the arts in Vermont. It strives to increase public awareness of the positive role artists and arts organizations play in communities and to increase opportunities for Vermonters to experience the arts in everyday life. The Council is the only designated State Arts Agency in the U.S. that is also an independent, not-for-profit, membership organization. For more information on the programs and services of the Vermont Arts Council, visit www.vermontartscouncil.org.