2025 POL County Champion, Alicia Blanco Bautista, with CA Arts Council Chair, Roxanne Messina Captor, CA Poet Laureate Lee Herrick, and CA Arts Council Executive Director Danielle Brazell at the State Competition in Sacramento
timeline
School Registration Deadline
September 30, 2025 click here to register
Student Registration for County Competition Deadline
October 31, 2025
SB County Poetry Out Loud Competition
November 13, 2025 5:30pm
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Hearing Room
105 E Anapamu St. 4th Floor, Santa Barbara
State Finals In Sacramento
March 15-16, 2026
National Finals in Washington D.C.
May 2026
Resources
Poetry Out Loud Anthology
Poetry Out Loud (National)
Poetry Out Loud (State)
Teacher's and Organizer’s Guide
contacts
Hannah Rubalcava
Grants and Contracts Manager
SB County Office of Arts & Culture
hannah@sbac.ca.gov
805-568-3990
2025-26 Poetry out loud competition
what is poetry out loud?
Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a free national program that helps high school students master public speaking, build self-confidence, and connect with their literary heritage—all while competing for recognition and scholarship opportunities.
Since 2006, we’ve proudly presented Poetry Out Loud in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, and the Poetry Foundation. Each year, millions of students across the country participate—and California hosts the largest and most exciting competition of all!
POL gives students the chance to explore great poetry, bring it to life through performance, and earn awards at the school, county, state, and national levels.
how it works
Modeled after a spelling bee, Poetry Out Loud begins each fall in classrooms across the country. High school teachers use free POL materials—including a comprehensive teacher toolkit—to introduce students to poetry recitation and run classroom competitions.
Students select poems from the Poetry Out Loud Anthology
School champions compete at the county level
County winners travel to Sacramento for the California State Finals
The state champion moves on to the National Finals in Washington, D.C.