20 Students across Michigan compete in 2024 poetry out loud state finals

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Michigan Humanities held the 2024 Poetry Out Loud state finals in Lansing where 20 high school students from communities all around the state of Michigan to compete for their shot to head to the national finals.

All contestants had to recite works that they memorized from an anthology of more than 1,000 classic and contemporary poems.

“Today is really about giving students a safe place to uplift to their voices and their stories poetry breeds empathy and it gives us a chance to not feel quite so alone.” said Jennifer Rupp, the president and CEO of Michigan Humanities. “It lets us learn about other people’s stories and Journeys that lets us explore our emotions. And so today is really all about giving students that voice that they might not feel that they have in other places.”

The winner of the state finals will receive 1,000 dollars as a cash reward and will compete in the National Finals that will be held from April.30 through May. 2, where there is a total of 50,000 dollars in awards and school and organization stipends, including a 20,000 dollar award for the national champion.

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