Two area high school students will represent Northern Illinois in the State Poetry Out Loud Competition that will be held in Springfield on March 10. Beth Hopkins of Spectrum International Preparatory High School of won the regional competition held on February 12 Alex Peterson also of Spectrum was the first runner-up and Johnny Cooper of Auburn High School is the alternate.

The winner of the state competition will advance to the national championship which will be held in Washington DC in May. The state winner will receive $200 and an all-expenses paid trip to Washington (with an adult chaperone) to complete at the National Finals. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The runner-up will receive $100; his or her school will receive $200 for the purchase of poetry books. A total of $50,000 in scholarship awards and school stipends will be awarded at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, with a $20,000 college scholarship award for the National Champion. 

The Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, is a free national program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Poetry Out Loud encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary heritage. Last year over $100,000 in prizes was awarded to students and schools. 

Sharon Nesbit-Davis, Education/Outreach Director of the Rockford Area Arts Council was the regional coordinator. “This is a wonderful program and everyone has enjoyed working on it. It is not easy to stand in front of strangers and recite. The students did a great job and I am very proud of them.” Teachers interested in participating in the 2010 Poetry Out Loud Contest should contact Sharon at the Rockford Area Arts Council, 815-963-6765 or email: sharon@artsforeveryone.com