Join the Maryland State Arts Council for Maryland’s 2021 Poetry Out Loud Regional Competitions! Each regional competition will be live streamed with ASL interpreters and live captioning available.

Regional Competition 2: Wednesday, February 10, 2021 4-6PM

Representing counties: Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s,Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset,Talbot, Wicomico, Worcester

The POL poetry recitation contest is co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The Poetry Foundation, and administered by U.S. state arts agencies and regional arts organizations across the country. The Maryland POL competition is produced by the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC).

Participation in POL offers students the opportunity to learn about their literary heritage, build self-confidence, and improve their public speaking skills. The process began in the fall when participating students selected two eligible poems from the POL website, analyzed and memorized them, and submitted video recitations during Pre-Regionals. In February, the top 24 competitors moved on to regionals. At the State Finals competition in March, the top 8 students will compete to determine the 2021 Maryland State Champion. Throughout the competition, competitors are evaluated on physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, and overall performance.