CONTACT: Rebecca Cruse, SDAC Deputy Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 16, 2024

DAKOTA VALLEY STUDENT TO COMPETE IN POETRY OUT LOUD NATIONAL FINALS

PIERRE, S.D. – Grace Powell, a senior at Dakota Valley High School in North Sioux City, SD, will take the national stage at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, May 1-2, in Washington, D.C.

Powell won first place at South Dakota’s Poetry Out Loud state contest, which earned her a $200 cash prize, $500 for her school to purchase poetry education materials, and the opportunity to compete among the 55 state and jurisdictional champions from across the nation for a top prize of $20,000.

Poetry Out Loud is a partnership among the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and state arts agencies. The program is sponsored and coordinated by the South Dakota Arts Council at the state level. Poetry Out Loud encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high school students, giving students an opportunity to master public speaking skills, build self‐confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

On Wednesday, May 1, the state champions will compete throughout the day in three semifinal rounds organized by region. Powell will compete in Semifinal 3 at 5 pm EDT. Three competitors from each region will advance to the top nine. They will compete in the final round on Thursday, May 2, at 7 pm EDT, when the Poetry Out Loud National Champion will be announced.

These events are free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required. Both days of competition will also be available through a live, one-time-only webcast at arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud. More information about the program is available at poetryoutloud.org.

South Dakota’s state runner-up is Siyanne Redda, a senior at Washington High School in Sioux Falls. She received a $100 cash prize and $200 for her school to purchase poetry education material.

An office of the South Dakota Department of Tourism, the South Dakota Arts Council’s mission is to provide grants and services to artists, arts organizations and schools across the state, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the state of South Dakota. The South Dakota Department of Tourism is comprised of Travel South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council. The Department is led by Secretary James D. Hagen.

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