POL is a national arts education program that encourages the mastery of great poetry by offering educational materials and competition to students in ND.
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the mastery of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic competition to high schools across the country. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to the school-wide competition, then to the state capital competition, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC.
04/29/2026
👏 GREAT JOB at Nationals, ASPEN! You make North Dakota - and Wyndmere School - proud. You have a very bright future ahead!
Visit https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/poetry-out-loud for more information about the 2026 POL national finals.
*See photo captions and descriptions by clicking each one.
04/27/2026
🎉 HELP US cheer on ND Champion Aspen Geist of Wyndmere School as she competes with 50+ students in the 21st Annual Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest in Washington, DC, April 28-29, 2026.
On TUESDAY, Aspen will perform in Round 3 of the semifinals starting at 4:00 p.m. CDT. The top three students from all three semifinal rounds will advance to the National Finals on WEDNESDAY, April 29, starting at 6:00 p.m. CDT. The semifinals and finals will take place at George Washington University and will be available through a one-time only webcast at Arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud.
A total of $50,000 in prizes and organizational stipends will be awarded, including $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000 respectively for 1st-3rd place.
Aspen Geist is our 2026 North Dakota state champ! 👏
We'll be announcing more info soon on how to watch Aspen compete in the Poetry Out Loud National Files, held in Washington, DC, and streamed live on arts.gov. Stay tuned! ✨🎙
02/25/2026
🎉 Congratulations to EVERY student who took the stage at the 2026 ND Poetry Out Loud State Finals! Your dedication, courage, and love of language lit up the room.
💙 Thank you to families, educators, schools, judges, volunteers, and everyone who came to celebrate poetry with us—your support makes this event possible.
🏆 Special congratulations to our 2026 State Champion, Aspen Geist of Wyndmere Public School, who will represent North Dakota at the National Finals in Washington, DC, April 27–29.
📄 Read the full press release: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NDCOTA/bulletins/40b619a
📸 To see captions, click on photos (all by Poppy Mills, ND DOT)
02/23/2026
🚨 REMINDER: FINALS start at 9:30am TOMORROW!
🎤Join us at the ND Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck for the 2026 ND Poetry Out Loud State Finals — FREE & open to the public.
🕐 Afternoon highlights:
1:00 p.m. — Finals Round, followed at 1:30 p.m. by a special performance from culture bearer Prairie Rose Seminole.
Prairie Rose Seminole is an enrolled member of the MHA Nation (Arikara, Northern Cheyenne, Dakota) and a dedicated advocate for Indigenous rights, cultural preservation, and storytelling.
See you there! ✨
11/19/2025
📣 Great news for schools, homeschool groups, and afterschool programs: the DEADLINE to register for the 2025–26 ND Poetry Out Loud season is NOW EXTENDED through December 15, 2025! 🎉
🆕 The 2025–26 Teacher & Organizer Guide is now available:
📘https://poetryoutloud.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/FINAL_ACCESSIBLE_POL_2025-26-TG.pdf
💡 It's easier to than you think - Poetry Out Loud integrates with existing ELA curriculum, does not require full class periods, and can be completed in 2-3 weeks!
💻 REGISTER TODAY! - https://www.arts.nd.gov/poetry-out-loud
10/27/2025
🎤✨ Cowboy Poetry took center stage at Wyndmere’s 2nd Annual Poetry Slam — and it all started with a connection through NDCA’s Poets in Schools program!
Cowboy poet Carson Hauser led the event, inspiring students from 7th grade to seniors to share original works rooted in the spirit of the American West. The slam was held in a historic one-room schoolhouse and brought together creativity, culture, and community.
This incredible event was made possible with funding from NDCA’s Poets in Schools program, which supports poetry residencies in schools across North Dakota — especially those participating in Poetry Out Loud.
📣 Schools running a Poetry Out Loud program are encouraged to apply for Poets in Schools funding to bring professional poets into classrooms and amplify student voices.
📺 Coverage by KVLY:
🔗 https://www.valleynewslive.com/2025/10/16/students-saddle-up-cowboy-poetry-wyndmeres-second-annual-poetry-slam/
Students saddle up for cowboy poetry at Wyndmere’s Second Annual Poetry Slam The competition brought together students from seventh grade through seniors, all gathered in the historic one-room schoolhouse to share their original works centered on this year’s theme of cowboy poetry — a genre that reflects the American West.
09/29/2025
🥳 WELCOME to a new season of ND POL! Applications are NOW OPEN and we will share the official list of anthologies ASAP. (The NEA plans to announce the list after Oct. 1.)
🎤 We CANNOT WAIT to hear what our amazing North Dakota students have to SAY!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8h1FAWbguQ
POL Student Promo Video If you know that the right word at the right time can change everything, you might be a lover of poetry. Participate today!