Are you a 2026 County Champion?
Register now for the state finals!
All County Champions must register using this online form for the State Finals, held Mar. 8-9, 2026 in Sacramento, CA.
Your county program will cover the cost of transit to Sacramento, and the California Arts Council will pay for a hotel room for you and your chaperone.
Questions? Reach out to: pol@arts.ca.gov
You must register for the CA POL State Finals by Feb. 9, 2026!
Click here for the online registration form.
About Poetry Out Loud
An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered statewide by the California Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Participants gain proficiency in public speaking, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. California's Poetry Out Loud is the largest event of its kind in the U.S., and has grown steadily since its inception.
How it works
The structure of Poetry Out Loud is similar to a spelling bee. This annual program starts in the fall, with high school teachers using the free Poetry Out Loud teacher toolkit and related materials to teach poetry recitation and run classroom competitions. Classroom winners advance to a schoolwide competition; school champions compete at the district or county level by mid-February. County winners are then treated to an unforgettable two days at the California Poetry Out Loud State Finals in Sacramento, and a chance to compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C.
The California state champion receives:
$200 cash prize and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
$500 for their school to purchase literary materials
An opportunity to compete at the National Finals for college scholarship funds
Visit poetryoutloud.org for detailed information and to check out POL action across the country.
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State Champions
