Poetry Out Loud - Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

Poetry Out Loud is open to high school students in all kinds of schools — public, private, parochial, independent, charter and home schooled students. Registration is OPEN for the 2025-2026 cycle.

Our longstanding Poetry Out Loud program is back to live participation by high school students who commit to memorizing and reciting poems in front of an audience. Students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. Following a public competition each year, a champion from each county is chosen to attend the state finals.

There are opportunities for scholarships, prize money, and a competition that ends with a pizza party!

DOWNLOAD Fliers and Instagram Graphic:

https://yubasutterarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IG-POL-2025-2026-Instagram-Post-45.pdf

https://yubasutterarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IG-POL-2025-2026-Instagram-Post-45.png

https://yubasutterarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/POL-2025-2026-11-x-17-.pdf

https://yubasutterarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/POL-2025-2026-11-x-17-2.png

Yuba County & Sutter County Students who are high-school level. Whether you attend public school, private school, charter school, homeschooling, hybrid schooling, alternative education, etc. Only currently enrolled students in grades 9-12 are eligible, with an exception made for 8th-grade students participating in a 9th- through 12th-grade class.

If you are enrolled in a Yuba County or Sutter County high school level school or program, but live in another county, you are eligible to participate.

1. Head to PoetryOutLoud.org

Spend time looking for a poem on the various anthologies linked below. You cannot use a poem you have written. The poem you chose to recite must be on the anthologies linked below! Choose any poem from any of the links below for the county competition.

Poem Anthologies:

Poetry Out Loud: https://poetryoutloud.org/
Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems
Poetry Out Loud Anthology 2024-2025: https://www.capoetryoutloud.org/s/Master-POL-Anthology_24-25.pdf

Browse Poems

2. Fill Out Form

Fill out the form. This is REQUIRED to participate. The form must be submitted by January 23rd, 2026 by 11:59:00pm Pacific Standard Time.

Yuba-Sutter Poetry Out Loud Submission Form

Instagram
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Submit this form before January 23, 2026 11:59:00 PST to be entered into the county-wide POL competition! There will be NO EXCEPTIONS if you are late to register. If you want to change your poem, it MUST be done before the deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Full Name*
First Last
Age*
This competition is open ONLY to High School Students. Regardless if student is home-schooled, in private or public school, etc.
Please enter a number from 13 to 18.
What are your pronouns?*
Example: he/him, she/her, they/them, zey/zem, xer/xem, etc. Make sure the pronouns you pick are safe for us to use in public for competition. Your safety is important!
Name of High School you are attending:*
Name of Educator who told you about Poetry Out Loud?*
First and Last Name Please
Title of Poem:*
REMINDER! The poem is required to be from the poetryoutloud.org site.
Title of Poet:*
How did you find out about POL?*
Was it an in-class presentation, flier, friend, educator, annoucements, etc.?
What is your email? (Non-school email please!)*
Cell Phone Number*
Mailing Address? Address, City, Zip Code*
Parent Name & Parent Email (optional)
Do you need/want coaching?*
- Yes
- No
Coaching can only be done prior to December 2025. The holidays make it hard to find a coach to meet with you and January 2026 is too late to get effective coaching.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Practice memorizing and performing your poem!

What some extra help? Contact Shawntay at shawntay@yubasutterarts.org to get FREE coaching. Coaching will happen on your time either in-person or virtually.

Coaching can only be done prior to December 2025.

Find resources on how competing works and find tips & tricks at the link below.

Tips on Competing

YSAC Poetry Out Loud Form Submission Deadline

Deadline is January 23rd, 2026 by 11:59:00pm Pacific Standard Time.

Coaching Deadline

Last day to ask for coaching is December 1, 2025.

Email shawntay@yubasutterarts.org

Yuba Sutter Poetry Out Loud Competition

January 31, 2026 at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts, 754 Plumas Street Yuba City, CA 95991

Sutter County Competition starts at 10am.

Yuba County Competition starts at 2pm.

CA State Competition

March 15-16, 2026 – CA State POL Finals in Sacramento, CA.

Location to be determined!