What is Poetry Out Loud?
Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry through recitation competitions for high school students across the country. POL is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts and managed in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts. The program is administered by participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies.
POL can help students improve public speaking skills, build confidence, and grow their appreciation for poetry. The program provides free educational materials for teachers and organizers.
The program starts with competitions held at the local level in a classroom or school, or with a community organization. Winners then advance to a regional and state competition, and ultimately to the national finals. Awards and placements are determined by the evaluation criteria used by judges to score student recitations. Students that are not able to participate in a local level competition may register to participate directly in a regional competition.
More than 4.5 million high school students have participated in this program since its inception in 2005. In Maryland, approximately 131,000 students have participated in the program and learned the power of poetry firsthand.
Please visit the POL website to learn more about the national program.
Previous State Champions
Isabella (Bella) Romero, an eleventh-grade student from Brookewood School in Montgomery County, was selected as the 2026 POL Maryland state champion (YouTube). Bella was among nine finalists who competed in the statewide competition at Montgomery College, Rockville Campus on Saturday, March 7.
Second place was awarded to Alexander Hobson from Centennial High School in Howard County and third place to Lucie Vidh from Richard Montgomery High School in Montgomery County.
The other finalists included Julia Rosen from Park School of Baltimore (Baltimore County), Sophia Vasquez and Lena Brown from Francis Scott Key High School (Carroll), Ethan Ayodeji from Indian Creek School (Anne Arundel), Claire Han and Neha Paranilam from George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology (Baltimore County).
The full recording of the 2026 Maryland Poetry Out Loud Competition (YouTube) is available on our YouTube channel.
Learn more about the 2026 State Champion Isabella Romero:
Isabella, also known as Bella, is a junior at Brookewood School. Bella plays soccer and lacrosse. She loves being with her friends, reading, and has a passion for playing piano.
Penelope Tofigh, a tenth-grade student from River Hill High School in Howard County, has been selected as the 2025 Poetry Out Loud (POL) Maryland state champion. Penelope was among eight finalists who competed in the statewide competition at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park, MD on Saturday, March 1.
Second place was awarded to Jenny Min from Centennial High School and Oman Speaks from Wilde Lake High School in Howard County.
The other finalists included Bella Romero from Brookewood School (Montgomery), Adebola Adenle from George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology (Baltimore County), Imari Owens from Gerstell Academy (Carroll), Madison Harris from Indian Creek School (Anne Arundel), and Precious Foreman from North Point High School (Charles).
The full recording of the 2025 Maryland Poetry Out Loud Competition is available on our YouTube channel.
Read below to learn more about the 2025 State Champion Penelope "Penny" Tofigh:
My name is Penelope Tofigh and I'm a sophomore at River Hill High School. I enjoy doing theater, band, and English at school. In my free time and when I'm not performing or in school, I like to hang out with my friends, bake, and write poetry. Poetry Out Loud was a super fun experience that I'll be thankful for forever!
Madison Harris, a tenth-grade student from Indian Creek High School in Anne Arundel County, has been selected as the Poetry Out Loud (POL) Maryland state champion for the second consecutive year. Madison was among nine finalists who competed in the statewide competition at the Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore City on Saturday, March 16.
Second place was awarded to Madilyn Tribbitt from Oakdale High School in Frederick County, and third place went to Abisola Asante from River Hill High School in Howard County. The other finalists included Elaine Casey from Gerstell Academy (Carroll), Fiona Guo from Pocomoke High School (Worcester), Jay Henry from Wilde Lake High School (Howard), Imari Owens from Gerstell Academy (Carroll), Ana Pantoja Alfaro from Brookewood School (Montgomery), and Yasmin Roach from Wilde Lake High School (Howard).
Click here to view the recording of the 2024 Maryland Poetry Out Loud Competition.
Read below to learn more about the 2024 State Champion Madison Harris:
My name is Madison Harris. I am sixteen years old. My favorite color is yellow. I like to code and the night time is the best time. I don’t write poetry but I love authors like Hillary Gonzalez and Alana Kirby. My biggest poetry tip is to always drink a Thai iced tea when stressed.
Madison Harris, a ninth grade student from Indian Creek High School in Anne Arundel County, was selected as the Poetry Out Loud (POL) Maryland state champion on Saturday, March 18 during the state finals competition at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore. Madison was among nine finalists who were selected from 25 Maryland students representing eight counties that competed in the statewide competitions. The POL poetry recitation contest is co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The Poetry Foundation, and administered by U.S. state arts agencies and regional organizations across the country. This year, the Maryland POL competition was produced by DewMore Baltimore in collaboration with MSAC.
Second place was awarded to Treston Melvin from Pocomoke High School in Worcester County, and third place went to Yasmin Roach from Wilde Lake High School in Howard County. The six remaining finalists were Chloe Choi (Montgomery), Fiona Guo (Worcester), Imari Owens (Carroll), Brennen Peroutka (Baltimore), Abigail Rakow (Montgomery), and Renee Si-ting Wu (Howard).
Click here to view the recording of the 2023 Maryland Poetry Out Loud Competition. Following the State Competition, Madison Harris won 3rd place in the National Poetry Out Loud Competition in Washington, D.C in May 2023! Click here to learn more about Madison's Poetry Out Loud experience.
Read below to learn more about 2023 State Champion Madison Harris:
My name is Madison Harris. I am 14 years old and in the 9th grade at Indian Creek High School in Crownsville, Maryland. I have two younger siblings who are twins. I play the cello and I am a part of the Junior Varsity Tennis team. I love Legos and coding. I also love to bake. In my spare time, I like to listen to music and play games. My favorite artists are Tyler, The Creator, Kali Uchis, and Laufey. My favorite poets are Amanda Gorman, Rupi Kaur, and Alaska Lane. I loved my experience at the Poetry Out Loud State Competition, and I cannot wait for the National Competition!
Harrison Lynch from The King’s Christian Academy in St. Mary’s County was selected as the Poetry Out Loud (POL) Maryland state champion on March 10th during state finals. He was among eight finalists who were selected from 25 Maryland students representing 13 counties that competed in the statewide competitions. The POL poetry recitation contest is co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The Poetry Foundation, and administered by U.S. state arts agencies and regional organizations across the country. The Maryland POL competition is produced by MSAC.
Second place was awarded to Abigail Grove from Allegany High School in Allegany County, and third place went to Matthew Bacho from Severna Park High School in Anne Arundel County. The five remaining finalists were Peyton McDonald (Allegany County), Curtis Kemtchouang (Frederick County),
Yasmin Roach (Howard County), Roselyn Centeno (Montgomery County), and Treston Melvin (Worcester County)