CT Creative Futures Presents Poetry Out Loud
Learn how poetry can boost confidence, find courage, flame passion and teach the importance of resilience.
Fox61
Since 2005, high school students from across Connecticut have benefited from Poetry Out Loud (POL), a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation.
On average, more than 200,000 students nationwide take part each year. This free program encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. Not only does it enable students to learn about their literary heritage, it helps them master public speaking skills and builds self-confidence.
What Is Poetry Out Loud?
Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the classroom level, winners from each class will advance to the schoolwide competition. Each school will send a finalist to the Connecticut state finals. Ultimately, one student per state will advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC. But there's more to the program than the competition. Students learn how to express themselves, gaining confidence in their voice and how to use it to affect change or shine a light on important aspects of their lives. For more information or if you have questions, contact Kimolee Eryn via email at kimoleeeryn@gmail.com.
Poetry and Courage
Tracy Caldwell, local spoken word poet and artist, shares how it takes courage to be vulnerable, to share your honest self. Yet this courage and vulnerability then builds confidence with time.
Poetry and Resilience
Tarishi “MIDNIGHT” Shuler shares how every closed door or failure can actually be the building block that leads to something greater.
Poetry and Confidence
Jaida Taveras, CT's inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, explains how poetry and the Poetry Out Loud program helped her to gain confidence in her writing and self-expression. To learn more about Jaida’s journey and being honored as the CT’s First Youth Poet Laureate, click here.
Poetry and Sincerity
Creativity requires putting your heart into it. William Leete, 2022 CT State Champion for Poetry Out Loud explains when you create with sincerity, it fuels your resilience, it aids in your longevity and becomes the reminder that allows passion to reignite after potential burnout.
Poetry and Passion
Lynnette Johnson explains that when you piece together the skill of writing and creating with subjects you're passionate about, it makes the work resonant. Good art isn't good art without a great and relatable subject. And with over 7 billion people on the planet, everything you're passionate about has at least a million people who also care about it to some degree, as well.
Check out the Poetry Out Loud CT YouTube page to watch the regional and final competitions, individual performances and interviews, plus more tips for creating your own poem.
For more information or if you have questions, contact Kimolee Eryn via email at kimoleeeryn@gmail.com.
