Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Arts and Sciences Division, in partnership with ArtsWA, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, will host the Central Washington Regional Poetry Out Loud competition on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at 1 p.m. in Kendall Hall Auditorium, Building 12.
Community members are invited to attend this free event.
is a national poetry recitation competition designed for high school students. The program helps participants develop public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and connect with literature in meaningful ways, often uncovering new avenues for creative expression.
Supported by the and the , Poetry Out Loud is coordinated and managed in Washington state by .
Since its inception in Washington in 2005, starting with eight schools in Thurston County and 624 students, Poetry Out Loud has grown significantly. Over the past 20 years, more than 200 public and private schools across the state have participated, reaching more than 275,000 students.
The annual state final competition takes place every March. Initially held at South Puget Sound Community College, the competition has since moved to various prestigious venues, including the University of Puget Sound, Rialto Theatre, Theatre on the Square in downtown Tacoma, and The Museum of Glass. Currently, it is hosted at the historic Tacoma Little Theatre in Tacoma’s north end.
For more information, contact YVC English instructors Jeff Gerhardstein at jgerhardstein@yvcc.edu or Mark Fuzie at mfuzie@yvcc.edu.