Twenty-seven high school students from across the state will take center stage to compete in a poetry recitation program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and coordinated by the North Carolina Arts Council.

The semifinals start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 6, at the North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh. There are three rounds of semifinals featuring nine to 10 students each. Round two starts at 12:30 p.m. Round three starts at 3 p.m.

Winners of the first rounds will proceed to the final competition, which begins at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Poetry Out Loud features readings by students from private and public schools, including schools as far away as Jackson and Swain counties in the mountains to Dare County on the coast.

Triangle area schools participating are: Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough; Chatham Central High School in Siler City; Clark Center for Learning in Cary; and the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham. (A complete list of students participating is below.)

Master of ceremonies for the event is David zum Brunnen, a professional North Carolina actor. Final judges for the contest are Frank Stasio, host of WUNC's The State of Things; Suzanne Newton, a Raleigh writer and teaching artist; and Howard Craft, a Durham playwright and teaching artist.

Last year's state Poetry Out Loud winner, Nadia Nasir, will read during the finals and Learning in the Arts Specialist for the National Endowment for the Arts Lakita Edwards will also speak.

Watch video of Nadia performing at last year's finals »

"Poetry Out Loud is for high school students what the national spelling bee is for middle schoolers, a chance to compete against peers in a feat that requires passion, poise, patience and self possession," says Mimi Herman, who coordinates the competition for the N.C. Arts Council. "While the stakes are high — a $20,000 college scholarship for the national champion — every student who participates in this program wins prizes they get to keep for a lifetime: the ownership of poems they know down to the bones, the knowledge that they can stand up before an audience and, despite their fears, recite something that matters."

Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is a national initiative to encourage high school students to memorize and recite poetry while mastering public speaking skills, building self-confidence and learning about their literary heritage.

Schools participating in the program received supplemental curriculum materials from the NEA including print and online anthologies, a program guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance, an audio CD featuring distinguished actors and writers, promotional and media guides and access to a comprehensive Web site.

Students first participate at the school level. Winners from individual schools advance to the state level competition. The winner at the state level receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national championship Monday, April 26, and Tuesday, April 27. The state winner's school receives a $500 stipend to be used for purchasing poetry books. The runner-up at the state level receives $100, with his or her school receiving a $200 stipend for buying poetry books. The NEA plans to award more than $50,000 in scholarships and stipends at the national finals for winners and their schools.

Participants include:

• Nancy Smith of Enka High School (Buncombe County)
• Gavin Roeder of The Performance Learning Center (Cabarrus County)
• Candace R. Triplett of South Caldwell High School (Caldwell County)
• Ruby Christina Osorio of Saint Stephens High School (Catawba County)
• Samantha Summer Langley of Chatham Central High School (Chatham County)
• Jalesa L. Norris of Shelby High School (Cleveland County)
• Kayla Elizabeth Houston of East Columbus High School (Columbus County)
• Madelaine Katz of First Flight High School (Dare County)
• Maggie Jordan of North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (Durham County)
• Mariya Nikolaeva of Grimsley Senior High School (Guilford County)
• Donald Welch of Lake Norman High School (Iredell County)
• Maxwell Matthews of Smokey Mountain High School (Jackson County)
• Sahraya Hunter of Johnston County Early College Academy (Johnston County)
• Zamyia Felton of West Mecklenburg High School (Mecklenburg County)
• Willie Cubbage of Kinston High School (Lenoir County)
• Adam Taylor Fredell of Lincolnton High School (Lincolnton County)
• Andrew Caliri of Pinecrest High School (Moore County)
• Antoinette Goodwyn of Gaston College Preparatory (Northampton County)
• Megan Leigh Lambert of West Stokes High School (Stokes County)
• Cary Simpson of Cedar Ridge High School (Orange County)
• Victoria Thomas of St. Pauls High School (Robeson County)
• Christie Marie Gutierrez of Clinton High School (Sampson County)
• Hayden Lindquist of Swain County High School (Swain County)
• Raven Covington of Central Academy of Technology & Arts (Union County)
• Elizabeth Autumn Mathis of Oglethorpe Christian Homeschool (Union County)
• Katlyn Lancaster of Wayne Early Middle College High School (Wayne County)
• Samara Clark of Clark Center for Learning (Wake County)

Learn more about Poetry Out Loud »

Watch videos from last year's finals »