Texas Poetry Out Loud

Go Almaz!! We're rooting for you today!!

Close out National Poetry Month by rooting for our 2026 Texas Poetry Out Loud champ, Almaz Clawson, as she competes in the national semi-finals today! The semi-finals will be livestreamed at https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/poetry-out-loud

Almaz will compete in the third semi-final, which starts at 4 PM Central. She is an 11th grader at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts in Dallas.

Photo: Lens of Athena Photography

Preaching to the choir, but we wanted to share these resources! The article refers to Texas Poetry Out Loud finals MC Naomi Shihab Nye as well!

No fooling: April is National Poetry Month, and 2026 is the 30th anniversary!

Check out the many ways to celebrate here: https://poets.org/national-poetry-month-30th-anniversary.

Keep an eye out for events in your community this month, or organize one!

Here are many good reasons to include more poetry in your life: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_poetry_changes_you_and_your_brain

We had a great time Saturday at the Texas Poetry Out Loud finals! Congratulations to Almaz and Joslynn-- we wish we could send you both to DC!

Bullock Texas State History Museum Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts NSITE Northside School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest

It gives us great joy to congratulate Almaz Clawson, right, and Joslynn Ratcliffe, left, on their performance at today’s Texas Poetry Out Loud finals! Almaz, a student at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts in Dallas, is our new state champ! Joslynn, our runner-up, attends Oliver Wendell Holmes High School in San Antonio. We congratulate them and the other finalists who competed today, and we thank our partner, Bullock Texas State History Museum, for hosting the event!

📸: Lens of Athena Photography

Have you explored the lesson plans and resources for this year's poems? Check it out for more insights into poetry and how to convey its meaning to a classroom or a general audience.

https://poetryoutloud.org/teachers-and-organizers/lesson-plans/

The Poetry Out Loud website, including the anthology and teacher's guide, have been updated for this year!

In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the 2025-2026 Poetry Out Loud program will focus on poems that celebrate the rich tapestry of American history and culture. Click the “Find Poems” tab for an updated list of poems for this year’s competition. *Note: There may be additional poems added to this anthology through October 31, 2025.

All poems must be selected from the Poetry Out Loud America 250 Online Anthology. Only versions of poems from the official America 250 Online Anthology may be used in the competition. At the state and national finals, students must have 3 poems prepared. No other poem selection criteria apply to the 2026 program.

Each winner at the state level receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip (with an adult chaperone) to Washington, DC, to compete at the National Finals. The state winner’s school/organization receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state receives $100, with $200 for their school/organization. At the national finals, a total of $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends are awarded annually including a $20,000 award for the National Champion, $10,000 for 2nd place, $5,000 for 3rd place, and $1,000 for 4th-12th places. The representing schools/organizations of each of the top 12 finalists receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials.

See it all at https://poetryoutloud.org/

Texas Commission on the Arts is taking registrations from Texas schools and organizations serving high school students for the 2025-2026 Poetry Out Loud competition! For this year, Poetry Out Loud will focus on America 250 in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, featuring poems celebrating the rich tapestry of American stories. This year's anthology of poems is available now at https://www.poetryoutloud.org/.

Our 2025 Texas Poetry Out Loud champ, Oluwabori "Anjy" Fadairo, is competing in the national semifinals this afternoon. You can cheer her on at this link, starting at 4 PM Central: https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/poetry-out-loud

Photo: Lens of Athena Photography

Drumroll, please!!

On Saturday, TCA held the 2025 Texas Poetry Out Loud finals, graciously hosted by our friends at the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Nine finalists competed and showed great, engaging skill! Ultimately, Anjy Fadairo (right), a 12th grader at The Hockaday School in Dallas, was named the 2025 Texas champion, and Anna Rodriguez (left), a junior at James M. Steele Early College High School in Roanoke, took the runner-up spot. Anjy will represent Texas in the national finals in Washington, DC, in early May. We appreciate all the competitors, teachers, family members, judges, MC Shihab Nye, and staff who helped make this such a special event!

Photo: Lens of Athena Photography

Join us this Saturday, February 22 for the Texas Poetry Out Loud state finals! Generously hosted by our friends at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, the finals are free to attend and start at 1 PM. 10 Texas high school students will be competing to be named the 2025 state champion and compete in the national finals in Washington, DC!

The school year has started, and this fall TCA is again organizing the Texas Poetry Out Loud program for high school students. The national winner gets a $20,000 scholarship!

Your school or nonprofit can be a part of this great program! Want more information? Check out this video, featuring Texas poet Naomi Shihab Nye, and sign up for more info here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/ODmwqcY

Welcome to Poetry Out Loud! Participate in this one-of-a-kind school arts program!