York, PA – York Suburban High School Senior, Steven File, took first place for the second year in a row at the annual regional Poetry Out Loud competition sponsored by the Cultural Alliance’s Arts in Education program for York, Adams, Fulton, and Franklin counties. The first runner up was Kaitlyn Durgin of Dallastown Area High School.
The competition, presented in partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition.
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country.
Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to a school wide competition, then to regional and state competitions, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC. More than 300,000 students nationwide took part in Poetry Out Loud last year.
With his regional success, File advances to the Pennsylvania State Poetry Out Loud contest, to be held virtually in March. The PA state champion will then advance to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals where $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded. >
To view File’s winning 2020 recitation, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YCu_NG_qcU.
To learn more about Poetry Out Loud, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.
