Registration

Nevada Poetry Out Loud

Nevada Poetry Out Loud is open to Nevada students in grades 9 -12. Students may participate from in-school or after school programs, as well as home school and distance learning programs. Students compete in school and district semi-final competitions. Winners of the district competitions will compete in the live and in-person state competition. The state champion will represent Nevada in the national competition in Washington, D.C.

Teacher Registration

INDIVIDUAL STUDENT REGISTRATION

Individual students whose schools are not participating in Poetry Out Loud may self-register as independent participants. However, they will be required to participate in a school and/or district semi-final competition in their county.

Student Registration

Educational support materials

Starting at the classroom level, teachers are provided with a teacher’s guide and multimedia resources located on a comprehensive website, http://www.poetryoutloud.org all aligned to national standards – to augment regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a school-level competition. School-level recitation champions advance to their district competition. District semi-finalists travel to Reno for the state final competition.

Why should I participate as an educator? This program is turn-key, with all the materials and study guides provided for teachers to integrate it into their own lesson plans or allow teachers to set it up as a stand-alone program within the school, depending on the need and resources available.
Why is this good for my students? This program helps students:
- Public speaking skills build self-confidence
- Learn about literary history & contemporary life
- Cash prizes for state winners
- The program fulfills nine NCTE Standards and aligns with Common Core Standards

The 2026 Nevada Poetry Out Loud State Final Competition is scheduled to be held live and in-person this year! The Nevada State Champion receives $200, and his/her school receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The Nevada State Champion will compete in the live, in-person, national final competition in Spring 2026.

How it works:

August	Registration opens for 2026 Nevada Poetry Out Loud
August to October	Set up Poetry Out Loud program, whether in the classroom or extracurricular activity. Explore the resources available.
September to November	Recruit participants, choose poems, and set up school competitions.
November to December	PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
Dec. 19, 2025	Registration deadline by 5 p.m.
January 2026	District competitions are held.
March 2026	District winners travel to Reno, Nevada, to represent their district in the statewide Nevada Poetry Out Loud Competition. Can’t attend in person, set up a watch party and support your district winner!
April 27-29, 2026	The state champion travels to Washington, D.C., for the national competition. Set up watch parties and follow the finals!

Nevada Arts Council Staff

Sogand Tabatabaei, Arts Learning Specialist & Poetry Out Loud State Coordinator