Good morning from Michigan Humanities, Later this summer, we will launch our online registration for Poetry Out Loud, a national high school poetry recitation program that we've been coordinating in Michigan for 15 years. We would love to have your help identifying potential high school partners across the state! If you currently work with high schools who may be interested in taking part, please feel free to spread the word to them. What is Poetry Out Loud? Poetry Out Loud is a FREE poetry memorization and recitation competition curriculum that teachers can incorporate into their classroom. Poetry Out Loud encourage students to learn about poetry, master public speaking skills, and build self-confidence. Students compete at the state and national level to win money for themselves and their school, and for the title of Poetry Out Loud Champion. Visit our website to watch a video featuring students who have participated in Poetry Out Loud in Michigan: https://www.michiganhumanities.org/poetry-out-loud-3/ How does it work? Teachers would implement this program in their classrooms in early fall or winter. Poetry Out Loud does not require full class periods, can be completed in 2-3 weeks, and can also be made part of a larger poetry curriculum. You can explore all materials for Poetry Out Loud at https://www.poetryoutloud.org/teaching-resources Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that starts at the classroom level. Winners in each classroom using Poetry Out Loud advance to a school-wide competition, then to a state competition in March, and ultimately to the National Finals<https://www.poetryoutloud.org/competition/national-finals> in Washington, D.C., in May. Awards and placements are determined solely by the judges' scores based on the Poetry Out Loud Evaluation Criteria<https://assets.poetryoutloud.org/uploads/documents/2018-19-POL-Evaluation-Criteria.pdf>. Michigan Humanities partners with Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs to coordinate Poetry Out Loud for Michigan. We help get the program started in partnering schools, and we are available to answer questions and connect teachers with other Poetry Out Loud teachers in their region. In addition to funding from MH and MCACA, Poetry Out Loud support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Meijer, and the Liesel Litzenburger Meijer Fund. Registration for the 2019-20 Poetry Out Loud program will begin late this summer. If you would like to speak with a teacher who has participated in Poetry Out Loud, have questions about the program, or would like to be notified when registration is available, please email Katie Wittenauer at kwittenauer@mihumanities.org<mailto:kwittenauer@mihumanities.org>. Thank you for helping us spread the word, and have a great week! Katie -------------------- Katie Wittenauer Director of Programs Michigan Humanities 119 Pere Marquette Drive, Suite 3B Lansing, MI 48912 (517) 372-7770, ext. 26 www.michiganhumanities.org<http://www.michiganhumanities.org/>