Humanities Iowa and UI Office of Community Engagement Announce 2026-27 Poetry Out Loud

Iowa City, Iowa – This school year, Humanities Iowa and the University of Iowa Office of Community Engagement invite Iowa high school students to participate in Poetry Out Loud, a dynamic poetry recitation competition designed to improve public speaking skills, build confidence, and teach students about literary history and contemporary life.

“Poetry Out Loud inspires students to explore poetry while developing skills that serve them in the classroom and beyond,” said Leslie Finer, Director of Arts & Humanities at the University of Iowa Office of Community Engagement. “We encourage Iowa educators and community organizations to join us in bringing this transformative experience to students across the state.”

During the 2026-27 academic year, schools are invited to hold classroom and school-wide competitions, with winning students advancing to Iowa’s state competition on February 28, 2027. The state champion will then advance to the national finals in Washington, D.C., on April 27-28, 2027, where $50,000 in awards and 

school stipends will be distributed to national winners.

Beginning this year, Humanities Iowa is partnering with the University of Iowa Office of Community Engagement to administer the Poetry Out Loud program in Iowa. The Iowa Poetry Out Loud registration deadline is December 1, 2026. Participating schools and organizations must register through Humanities Iowa to take part in the official Iowa Poetry Out Loud program.

Participating teachers and organizations have access to free, standards-based curriculum materials, including an online poetry anthology, teacher resources and videos about the art of poetry recitation, at PoetryOutLoud.org. 

Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.6 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud. The program is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts and is managed in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts.

To register in Iowa, visit humanitiesiowa.org/poetry-out-loud. For more information, please contact: 

Leslie Finer
University of Iowa Office of Community Engagement
319.335.1618
leslie-finer@uiowa.edu

Grace Altenhofen
Humanities Iowa
515.412.4430
grace-altenhofen@uiowa.edu