Allied Arts Council announces Alex Hall as its 2016 Poetry Out Loud Northwest Regional Finals Champion.

Three Northwest Missouri students, Alex Hall, home school, Elanor Albertson from Lathrop R-II, and JoAnna Harris from Lafayette High School competed in the 2016 Poetry Out Loud Northwest Regional Finals hosted by the Allied Arts Council on February 3, 2016.

Homeschooler Alex Hall from St. Joseph was the regional champion, and the first runner-up was JoAnna Harris from Lafayette High School. Hall will advance to the state finals March 10, 2016 in Jefferson City, Missouri

Judges Jolene Dempster, Robbie Morton, Sue Wagner and Cathy Ketter presided over the competition and evaluated student performances on criteria including physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, overall performance, and accuracy.

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. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the school level, winners advance to a regional competition, then to a state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC.

The competition was presented by the Allied Arts Council in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, the Missouri Arts Council and Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies.