Poetry Out Loud: Program Materials & Schedule

Poetry Out Loud curriculum materials include:

• an official poetry anthology
• teacher preparation
• lesson plans
• watch recitation videos
• resources for organizing a competition
• Illinois participation information pamphlet

Central Region

Contest Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Contest Start Time: 4:00 PM
Contest Location: Peggy Ryder Theater, Hoogland Center for the Arts
420 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62701
For more information contact: Sheila Walk at programs@springfieldartsco.org or 217/753-3519

Chicago City Schools

Contest Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Contest Start Time: 10:00 AM
Contest Location: The Poetry Foundation 
61 W Superior St., Chicago, IL 60654
For more information contact: Joy Young  at joy@poetrycenter.org  or 773/474-4903

Chicago Metro/Suburban

Contest Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Contest Start Time: 10:00 AM
Contest Location: The Poetry Foundation 
61 W Superior St., Chicago, IL 60654
For more information contact: Joy Young  at joy@poetrycenter.org or 773/474-4903

Eastern Region

Contest Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Contest Start Time: 5:30 PM
Contest Location: Champaign Public Library, Robeson Pavilion Room B
200 W. Greet St., Champaign, 61820
For more information contact: Elsie Hedgspeth at ehedgspeth@40north.org or 217/351-9841

Northern Region

Contest Date: Friday, February 6, 2026
Contest Start Time: 5:30 PM
Contest Location: Jefferson High School
4145 Samuelson Rd, Rockford, IL 61109
For more information contact: Jordan DeWilde at jordan@artsforeveryone.com or 815/963-6765

Southern Region

Contest Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026
Contest Start Time: 10 AM
Contest Location: Neil & Mary Ellen Dillard Media and Performance Gallery, Artspace Southern Illinois,
304 W Walnut St, Carbondale, IL 62901
For more information contact: Carolyn Deane at cdeane@artspacesouthernillinois.org or 618/457-5100

Western Region

Contest Date: Friday, January 16, 2026
Contest Start Time: 6:00 PM
Contest Location: Skylark Studios
4401 7th Ave., Rock Island, IL 62901
For more information contact: Aubrey Barnes at contact@younglionsroar.com or 309/807-7935

Contest Date: March 2, 2026
Contest Start Time: 10:00 AM
Contest Location: LRS Theater, Hoogland Center for the Arts
420 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62701
For more information contact: Sheila Walk, programs@springfieldartsco.org or 217/753-3519

All Illinois regional Poetry Out Loud contests are held throughout the month of February. The Illinois state contest is scheduled for March 2 in Springfield. The national contest is scheduled for April 27-29 2026, in Washington, D.C.

Generally, each state contest winner must register to participate in the national contest approximately six weeks prior to the national contest date. The exact date for national contest registration will be provided to the Illinois state contest winner after the state contest concludes.

Teachers and students should plan on spending approximately three weeks on the POL curriculum materials and preparing for their school’s contest. Consider the timing of the regional contest for your school when planning the introduction of the POL curriculum and scheduling a school contest.

Students must participate in a school-level contest prior to competing in a regional contest. All regional contests require that schools register with the regional POL coordinator, the name of their school’s contest winner, and the poems to be recited.

Eligibility rules, lesson plans, tips for organizing contests, examples of students' recitations, and the list of poems approved to be recited during school, regional, and national contests, etc., can be found on the official Poetry Out Loud website: www.poetryoutloud.org. Be mindful that the list of approved poems changes every year.