LAKEPORT, Calif. – Middletown High School students received top honors at the Lake County Poetry Out Loud competition held Saturday.
On Saturday, Jan. 9, three local high school students participated in the Lake County Poetry Out Loud county competition via Zoom, the first time the competition has been held on a virtual platform.
The first-place winner was Emily Maccario from Middletown High School.
Second place runner-up was Karen Espinoza and third place runner-up was Leslie Chairez, both seniors who also attend Middletown High School.
Students recited works live that they selected from an anthology of more than 1,100 poems. Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have created free, standards-based curriculum materials to support Poetry Out Loud including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation.
Maccario will advance to the California State Poetry Out Loud contest, which will also be held virtually, with the chance to compete in the national competition.
The school of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded.
Poetry Out Loud, presented in partnership with the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is a national program that encourages high school students to learn about poetry – both classic and contemporary – through memorization, performance and competition.
Since the program began in 2005, more than four million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud.
The 2021 Poetry Out Loud Coordinator Georgina Marie and the Lake County Arts Council wish to thank the participating students for all of their hard work to compete while also tending to their schooling and distance learning obligations; Hilary Devine and Michele Krueger for coaching and encouraging the students to participate in this year’s competition; and the judges for this year: Lance Giroux, Jennifer Mills Kerr, Shelby Posada and accuracy judge Jessyca Lytle.
Arts Council announces Lake County Poetry Out Loud contest winners
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