West-Central Alabama students are preparing for the 2024-2025 Poetry Out Loud regional finals, set to take place on January 16, 2025. The event will be held at the Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa, starting at 9:30 a.m. The competition is free and open to the public.
Poetry Out Loud is a national program designed to encourage students to engage with poetry through memorization. It helps improve public speaking skills and boosts self-confidence. Initially launched in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, the program has since expanded to high schools across the country, with over 365,000 students participating.
Before the regional finals, students will compete in preliminary rounds at their high schools. They are eligible to participate in several categories, including national/anthology poetry, original poetry, and social issue poetry. The Alabama State Council on the Arts sponsors the original poetry and social issue categories.
Winners in all three categories will travel to Montgomery, Alabama, for the statewide competition in 2025. The national/anthology winner will then advance to Washington, D.C. for the final round.
Sponsors of the event include the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa. The Region 3-4 Coordinator for Poetry Out Loud is Autumn Fuller, Director of Education for The Arts Council.
The Bama Theatre is located at 600 Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa, near the Dinah Washington Cultural Center at 620 Greensboro Avenue.
