Burlington, VT — Students from 21 Vermont high schools, representing 9 counties, travel to the Barre Opera House on Thursday, March 7 to recite poems on stage in the Vermont Poetry Out Loud 2024 Semifinals. This prestigious poetry recitation competition is administered by the Flynn in partnership with the Vermont Arts Council under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Students selected at the semifinals in Barre move on to the state finals held at the Flynn on Thursday, March 14. The state Poetry Out Loud champion advances to the national finals in Washington, D.C., in April.

Both the state semifinals and state finals can be streamed live on the Flynn website. Find out more about Vermont Poetry Out Loud at flynnvt.org/education/poetry-out-loud.

"We are excited to work with the Vermont Arts Council to facilitate this year’s statewide Poetry Out Loud recitation program," said Jennifer Skinder, director of education at the Flynn. "Nearly 3,000 students participate in Poetry Out Loud each year, and this program allows us to bring artists to schools across the state. This program is an excellent way for students to build academic and language skills, and develop self-confidence and empathy."

Poetry Out Loud is supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Poetry Out Loud program was created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Now in its 16th year, Poetry Out Loud has inspired hundreds of thousands of American high school students to discover and commit to memory classic and contemporary poetry. This year, nearly 3,000 students participated in Vermont’s Poetry Out Loud program, supported by more than 90 teachers in classrooms and in student clubs across the state.

Vermont Poetry Out Loud participating schools: St. Johnsbury Academy, Winooski High School, People’s Academy, Hazen Union High School, Burlington High School, Champlain Valley Union High School, Mount Mansfield Union High School, Rice Memorial High School, South Burlington High School, Vermont Commons School, Thetford Academy, Woodstock Union High School, Bellows Free Academy – Fairfax, Arlington Memorial High School, Brattleboro Union High School, Williamstown High School, Stratton Mountain School, Bellow Free Academy – St. Albans, Harwood Union High School, Burr and Burton Academy, Lyndon Institute.