(St. Joseph, Mo.) – Local students will take part reciting poetry for a chance at thousands of dollars in scholarships and school stipends.

The northwest Missouri regional Poetry Out Loud competition will take place Wednesday, February 11 at 4:30 p.m. at the Troester Media Center, 3401 Renick, St. Joseph, MO.  It’s the ninth year for the event hosted by the Allied Arts Council.

Competition winners from Bishop LeBlond High School, Lathrop R-II, and St. Joseph Home schools will recite three poems each.

Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the Allied Arts Council of St. Joseph, Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.  The program encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.

Cathy Ketter, Allied Arts Council operations manager and regional coordinator of the event, said “Poetry Out Loud is a wonderful event celebrating the spoken words of poetry. By performing great works of literature, students master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn more about their literary heritage.”

The event is free and open to the public.

Regional winners will travel to Jefferson City March 12th for the Missouri State Championship. The winner receives a plaque, traveling trophy and all-expense-paid trip (with two parents or chaperones) to Washington, DC for the national finals taking place in April. A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded at the national finals, and the national champion receives a $20,000 college scholarship. For more information about the national competition, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.