Georgia Council for the Arts Names Poetry Out Loud State Champion
The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) announced the state winner of Poetry Out Loud today. Poetry Out Loud is a national program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation that encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation of the written word. Ashlie Robertson, a junior at Oconee County High School, took home the first place prize at the 2014 Georgia state finals and will represent Georgia in Washington, D.C. at the national finals later this month.
“Poetry Out Loud is a remarkable program that engages Georgia’s youth in exploration of incredible works of poetry and uses these powerful pieces of art as a training tool for confidence and presence in public speaking,” said Karen Paty, director of Georgia Council for the Arts. “Georgia Council for the Arts is proud to partner with the NEA and the Atlanta History Center to implement this program statewide and excite high school students about the power and potential harnessed in an expertly crafted literary work and fine-tuned public performance. We believe strongly in the role of the arts in educating our youth, and preparing them for them for success in the future.”
Georgia’s Poetry Out Loud champion, Ashlie Robertson will receive $200 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Her school will also be presented with a $500 certificate that will go towards new books. The Poetry Out Loud runner-up, Samantha Fernandez, a junior at Forsyth Central High School, will receive $100 from the NEA, and $200 to go towards books for her school.
Poetry Out Loud, which began in 2005 as a pilot program in Chicago and Washington, D.C, has grown to involve millions of students across the country. Georgia is ranked among the top five states for student and teacher participation.
This is the sixth year the Atlanta History Center’s Margaret Mitchell House has been selected to coordinate Poetry Out Loud by the Georgia Council for the Arts. Georgia’s participation includes:
- 74 schools from around the state
- More than 12,000 students
- More than 100 teachers
- 33 counties around the state
“Poetry Out Loud enables the Atlanta History Center to go beyond our museum walls to connect with high school students statewide as they explore significant works of poetry,” said Kate Whitman vice president of public programs at Atlanta History Center and Margaret Mitchell House. “The program complements the literary programming offered at the Margaret Mitchell House, which includes bestselling author talks, summer writing camps for youth, and the daily visitor experience dedicated to promoting the legacy of Margaret Mitchell and her impact on Southern fiction, and the city of Atlanta.”
If your school would like to get involved with Poetry Out Loud, please contact Emily Reece at EReece@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com or call 404.814.4017. For more information about Poetry Out Loud, please visit www.MargaretMitchellHouse.com/POL.
About Georgia Council of Arts
Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development whose mission is to cultivate the growth of vibrant, thriving Georgia communities through the arts. GCA provides grant funding, programs and services statewide that support the vital arts industry, preserve the state’s cultural heritage, increase tourism and nurture strong communities. Funding for Georgia Council for the Arts is provided by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About Atlanta History Center
Founded in 1926, the Atlanta History Center is an all-inclusive, thirty-three-acre destination featuring the Atlanta History Museum, one of the nation’s largest history museums; two historic houses, the 1928 Swan House and the 1860 Smith Family Farm; the Centennial Olympic Games Museum; the Kenan Research Center; the Grand Overlook event space; Chick-Fil-A at the Coca-Cola Café, a museum shop, and twenty-two acres of Historic Gardens with paths and the kid-friendly Connor Brown Discovery Trail.
In addition, the History Center operates the Margaret Mitchell House located in Midtown Atlanta. For information on Atlanta History Center offerings, hours of operation, and admission call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.
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