Academic Events > Poetry Out Loud

Los Angeles County Poetry Out Loud

A Recitation Competition for High Schoolers

 

The Los Angeles County Poetry Out Loud competition is an annual recitation of classical poetry by high school students. Qualified contestants compete at an annual event held at a prominent entertainment venue in Los Angeles County.

The winner of the L.A. County Poetry Out Loud advances to the California State contest held in Sacramento each March to compete for a spot in the National Poetry Out Loud finals that take place in Washington, D.C. in May.
Registration Deadline: November 22, 2019
Register here.

The 2020 Competition will be held on February 12, 2020
at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
Watch the 2019 winning performance at the left.
Meet the Winners
2019 winner has a way with words2019 winner has a way with words
Treniece Monè Ward, a senior at Hamilton High School (LAUSD), is the winner of this year’s Los Angeles County Poetry Out Loud competition....Read more
2018 results in a word2018 results in a word
Robert Peralta, a senior at Glendale High School in Glendale USD, mesmerized the audience with his recitation of Li-Young Lee poem “Gift” and won the top prize of the 11th Annual L.A. County Poetry Out Loud contest held on Feb. 1, at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts....Read more
2017 up-beat poems win the day2017 up-beat poems win the day
Cennemi Diaz, a senior at Millikan High School in Long Beach USD, captivated the audience with her recitation of Nick Flynn’s poem “Cartoon Physics Part 1” and won the top prize of the 10th Annual L.A. County Poetry Out Loud contest held on Feb. 1, at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts....Read more
Manhattan Beach student tops Poetry Out Loud in 2016Manhattan Beach student tops Poetry Out Loud in 2016
Miriam Sachs won the 9th Annual L.A. County Poetry Out Loud competition held Feb. 4 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Sachs attends Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach Unified School District....Read more
2015 winner to compete at State2015 winner to compete at State
Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem "Queens Cemetery, Setting Sun" clinched the top spot for Aaron Rubanowitz in the 8th Annual L.A. County Poetry Out Loud competition held Feb. 5 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts....Read more
2014 Poetry Out Loud winner2014 Poetry Out Loud winner
The top spot was awarded to Alexander Luu, from San Gabriel High School in the Alhambra Unified School District. The event featured twenty competitors standing and reciting two poems each. Luu went on to represent Los Angeles County at the state finals....Read more
2013 Poetry Out Loud winner will go to State Finals2013 Poetry Out Loud winner will go to State Finals
At the L.A. County Poetry Out Loud contest Feb. 6, 2013 at The Actors Gang Theatre in Culver City, runner-up Jesie Amaya (left) of Montebello High School and winner Yanelli Soriano of Marshall Fundamental High School in Pasadena....Read more
Teens stand and deliver at 2012 poetry contestTeens stand and deliver at 2012 poetry contest
The winner was Calvin Lam, a senior from San Gabriel High School in Alhambra. He recited "Candles" by Carl Dennis and Ego by Denise Duhamel. Among the contestants was Hannah Seymour, an 11th-grader from one of LACOE's specialized high schools....Read more
Find out more about the National Poetry Out Loud Contest
Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states...Read more