|
Hellgate High School Freshman Stella Shannon To
Compete in National Poetry Out Loud Finals
News from the NEA --
From Fairbanks, Alaska, to Knoxville, Tennessee, 53 students from across the country will converge on Washington, DC on April 28-29, 2011 to compete in the National Finals of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, the nation's largest youth poetry recitation competition. Missoula's Stella Shannon will be among them. These young competitors advanced from a field of more than 365,000 students who tested their skills in poetry recitation in more than 2,000 schools nationwide. The top finalists and their schools will receive $50,000 in awards. The Missoula Writing Collaborative's Mark Gibbons mentored Stella and will accompany her and her family to Washington. Now in its sixth year of national competition, Poetry Out Loud is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, which encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools students across the country. Poetry Out Loud gives students an opportunity to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. The 53 champions will gather at the Poetry Out Loud semifinals on Thursday, April 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the historic Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC. Nine finalists will advance to the National Finals, also held at the Lincoln Theatre, on Friday, April 29, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Visit arts.gov for more info about the event, including a one-time only live webcast of the semifinals and finals. "Our research shows that young people who get arts education today are much more likely to be the arts participants of tomorrow," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. "Through Poetry Out Loud, we've heard many stories from students who talk about falling in love with poetry ... for life." | 
