CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Feb. 6, 2026 – The Wyoming Arts Council will host the state finals for two student poetry programs, Poetry Out Loud and Poetry Ourselves, on March 1 and 2 in Cheyenne. Both events are free and open to the public and will showcase the voices and creative achievements of high school students from across Wyoming.

The Poetry Ourselves State Finals Competition will take place Sunday, March 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Laramie County Library’s Cottonwood Room, 2200 Pioneer Ave. Poetry Ourselves is a Wyoming-specific program that recognizes literary achievement among students in grades 9–12 attending public, private, or home schools. The competition includes spoken and written word categories featuring original student work.

Following the judged portion of the event, the microphone will be open to students, educators, and community members who wish to share original poetry or a favorite poem. Participants are encouraged to be mindful of the audience and to provide a content warning when appropriate.

The Poetry Out Loud State Finals Competition will be held Monday, March 2, at 10 a.m. at the Lincoln Auditorium, 1615 Central Ave. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation and memorization program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The program is designed for students in grades 9–12 and supports language arts education through the study and performance of poetry.

Students advance to the state finals after competing at the classroom and school levels. Each school champion will recite three poems across three competition rounds. Wyoming’s Poetry Out Loud state champion will advance to the national finals in Washington, D.C., later this spring.

For more information, contact Ismael Dominguez, programs specialist with the Wyoming Arts Council, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Additional information is available at wyomingartscouncil.org.

Figure 1: Students participating in Poetry Out Loud and Poetry Ourselves pose with Gov. Mark Gordon at the 2025 Poetry Out Loud Awards Banquet.

Figure 2: Kadence Aagard of Worland High School recites an original poem at the 2025 Poetry Ourselves event.

Contact: Ismael Dominguez, (307) 475-4476; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.