AUGUSTA – High school students are again invited to compete in a national poetry recitation contest for awards totaling more than $100,000 in scholarships and school stipends.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation is presenting Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission. State winners will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Washington, D.C., national championship where a $20,000 college scholarship will go to the Poetry Out Loud National Champion. That state winner’s school will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry books.

Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance and competition. During fall and winter, schools are invited to participate in classroom and school-wide contests, advancing to a state competition on Thursday, March 8, 2007. State champions will advance to the national finals on April 30 and May 1 in Washington.

Riva Dumont from Erskine Academy in South China was selected as the 2006 Maine Poetry Out Loud champion and represented the state in the finals. The NEA recognized Dumont’s accomplishment with a $1,000 scholarship in addition to her $200 state champion’s award and $500 for her school to purchase poetry books. She also met with Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Olympia Snowe.

Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry – recitation and performance. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

The NEA and the Poetry Foundation have partnered to provide materials, grants, prizes and the national finals in May. With that support, the Maine Arts Commission will select at least 30 high schools in Maine to participate in the contest.

Additionally, the NEA and the Poetry Foundation will provide state arts agencies with free, standards-based curriculum materials for use by participating schools.Program materials are available for download on www.poetryoutloud.org.

High schools that wish to be part of the Poetry Out Loud program must contact the Maine Arts Commission. Schools that are not in the official program may conduct their own contests using the online resources. Contact Allyson Lesley Day at [email protected], 557-0164, [email protected], 287-2790 or visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information.