The Wyoming Arts Council hosts the Poetry Out Loud State Finals Competition on March 2 at 7 p.m. at the Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20 St. in Cheyenne.

Awards will be presented by Governor Mark Gordon at a ceremony on Tues., March 3 at 11:30 a.m. in Wyoming’s State Capitol in the Capitol Extension Conference Room W053/W054. The public is invited to attend both events.

Poetry Out Loud (POL) is the national recitation and memorization contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation. Designed specifically for students in grades 9-12 attending public, private or home schools, the POL program is a fun way to teach and learn language arts standards through poetry.

Students first compete at the classroom and school levels before participating in the state finals competition. Each school champion will recite 3 poems. Wyoming’s state champion will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete at the National Finals. The state champion’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up will receive $100; his or her school will receive $200 for their school library.

This year’s judges for the state competition are, Wyoming’s Poet Laureate, Eugene Gagliano, Casper College Instructor and Award-Winning Poet, Chad Hanson, Wyoming author and poet, Mandie Hines, and Alaskan multidisciplinary poet and teaching artist, Christy NaMee Eriksen.

Poetry Out Loud builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, encouraging the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. Students can work on mastering comprehension, public speaking, acting, performance, drama and English skills while building self-confidence and internalizing our rich literary heritage.

For more information, please contact Mary Billiter, Arts Education Specialist with the Wyoming Arts Council at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or 307-757-8806.

Photo Caption: Lauren Haiar, 2018 POL Wyoming State Champion from Sundance Secondary School.