Hussein named Delaware’s finalist for second consecutive year

Wilmington, Del. (March 7, 2024) – Following a spirited competition featuring eleven talented high school students from Delaware, Maiss Hussein, a senior from Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School, emerged as the 2024 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion. The exhilarating state finals took place on February 29th, 2024, at the Smyrna Opera House. Joelle Caternor from Smyrna High School secured the first runner-up position, while Jono McGarvey from Delaware Valley Classical School claimed the second runner-up title.

This victory marks Maiss as only the third participant in Delaware’s 18-year involvement with the program to secure consecutive wins. Reflecting on her achievement, Hussein remarked, “My first win was unforgettable, but the second time around has left me in awe. It feels like I’m still in shock!”

Hussein’s captivating recitation of “If They Should Come For Us” by Fatimah Asghar earned high praise from the adjudicators. The profound poem can be explored on the Poetry Foundation’s website.

In an ode to Maiss’s exceptional achievement, Jessica Ball, Director of the Division of the Arts, remarked, “Maiss Hussein’s victory is not just a triumph for her, but a testament to the power of poetry to transcend and inspire. We are immensely proud of her accomplishment and look forward to witnessing her shine on the national stage.”

As the 2024 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion, Maiss will be awarded $200 and the esteemed opportunity to compete at the National Finals in Washington, D.C., scheduled from April 30th to May 2nd, 2024. Furthermore, Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School will receive a $500 stipend for the acquisition of poetry materials. Joelle Caternor, the first runner-up, will be granted $100, and Smyrna High School will receive $200 for its school library.

The Poetry Out Loud state competition, presented by the Delaware Division of the Arts in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, serves as a pivotal platform encouraging high school students to delve into great poetry through memorization, performance, and spirited competition. A recording of this year’s Competition can be found on the Division’s YouTube page.

For further details regarding the competition and a comprehensive list of state finalists, kindly visit our website.

Photo Credit: Sam Wilson, Moonloop Photography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L0PwsKC-uE

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

Wilmington, Del. (February 8, 2023) – Following a three year hiatus, Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns for the first in-person competition since 2020. The recitation contest will be hosted at the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at 7:00pm. Twelve student finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC from May 8-10, 2023, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. The event is FREE to the public and seating is limited.

At their school, students selected and recited works from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Their teachers or facilitators ran their school’s local Poetry Out Loud competition that then selected a winner to be moved on to the state finals.

 “Congratulations to the twelve talented and creative high school students who have been selected as semi-finalists in the 2023 Delaware Poetry Out Loud competition,” says Division Director Jessica Ball. “Your hard work and passion for the arts is truly inspiring. The arts play a critical role in creating well-rounded individuals, fostering imagination, creativity and critical thinking skills that are essential to success in all aspects of life. Keep up the great work and we can’t wait to see where your passion for the arts takes you in the future.”

The 2023 Delaware State semi-finalists are:

Bekah Booth, Delaware Valley Classical School

Maiss Hussein, Hodgson Vo-Tech High School

Emily Roth, MOT High School

Aiden Morris, Mount Sophia Academy

Lale Ergen, Newark Charter High School

Julia Nowaczyk, Padua Academy

Hunter Brown, Red Lion Christian Academy

Abigail Ehemann, Saint Mark’s High School

Kaylee Rathbone, Sanford School

Joelle Caternor, Smyrna High School

Morgan Burnett, Sussex Central High School

Ololade Olubowale, Tatnall School

Poetry Out Loud—presented in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and Poetry Foundation—is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.1 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud.

The National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation have created free, standards-based curriculum materials to support Poetry Out Loud including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation. These resources are available for free at PoetryOutLoud.org.

The Delaware state champion will receive $200 and will advance to the national finals next spring where $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends will be distributed. The representing school or organization of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for their school or organization. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

Wilmington, Del. (March 10, 2022) – From a field of ten Delaware high school students, Natalie Kim Ramos, a senior from Saint Mark’s High School, earned the title of 2022 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion at the virtual state finals held on March 10. The first runner-up was Kai Schmiedel from Delaware Valley Classical School and the second runner-up was Aiden Morris from Mount Sophia Academy.

Ramos’ recitation, “How To Triumph Like a Girl” by Ada Limón, earned her high marks with the judges. The full poem can be found on the Poetry Foundation’s website.

As the 2022 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion, Ramos will receive $200 and the opportunity to compete in the virtual national semifinals on Sunday, May 1, 2022, which will be streamed on arts.gov. Saint Mark’s High School will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. Kai Schmiedel, the first runner-up will receive $100, and Delaware Valley Classical School will receive $200 for its school library.

The Poetry Out Loud state competition, sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition.

To learn more about the competition and for a full list of state finalists, please view our website.

Watch the full 2022 Delaware state competition below:

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Community Engagement
302-577-8282, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

Ten Delaware high school students to compete for the state title and to advance to virtual National Finals

MEDIA ADVISORY
March 2, 2022

WHAT: Ten Delaware high school students participated in the taped state finals for Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest that will premiere on the Delaware Division of the Arts’ YouTube channel. The winner of this competition will represent Delaware and advance to the national semifinals, to be streamed on Sunday, May 1, 2022 on arts.gov, with the top nine students advancing to the national finals, that will stream on Sunday, June 5, 2022. This program is sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation.

WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Delaware Division of the Arts’ YouTube channel

WHO: Finalists, Featured Speakers and Judges will be:

2022 Delaware State Finalists

Speakers and judges will be:

Speakers:

Jessica Ball, Director, Delaware Division of the Arts

The Honorable Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secretary of State, State of Delaware

Mistress of Ceremonies:

JoAnn Balingit, D. Teaching Artist

Judges:

Jamie Brunson, Executive Director, First Person Arts and 2022 Individual Artist Fellow – Playwriting

Kari Ann Ebert, Poetry and Interview Editor, The Broadkill Review

David Salner, Poet and Writer

Alyssa Watters, Teen Center Coordinator, Milford Public Library

Christian Wills, Poet, Teaching Artist, and Lyricist

Beverly Romain, Poet, Teaching Artist, and Writer will serve as Accuracy Judge

Production Team:

Director: Traci Currie, Ph.D, Teaching Artist

Film Editor: Kevin Muhammad, Advocate Media

Closed Captioning: Daniel Sato, Director of Multimedia, Government Information Center, State of Delaware

Program Staff:

Sheila Dean Ross, Program Officer, Arts in Education, Delaware Division of the Arts

Kaitlin Ammon, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing, Delaware Division of the Arts

Dana Wise, Administrative Assistant, Delaware Division of the Arts

OTHER: The 2022 Poetry Out Loud photos will be available the day after the event. Use hashtags: #POL22 and #iampoetryoutloud. Tag us at: @ArtsDelaware

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Community Engagement
302-577-8282, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

Seventeen students to compete to advance to
National Finals in Washington, DC

Smyrna, Del. (February 13, 2020) –The free recitation contest will host its state final competition at Smyrna Opera House on Tuesday, February 25 at 7 p.m. (snow date: Thursday, February 27). The finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC from April 27-29, 2020, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.

This year’s finals judges are:

• Traci Currie, Spoken Word Artist & Program Director, Arts Work Summer Youth Apprenticeship, City of Wilmington
• Reverend Dr. John G. Moore, Director, Philanthropy and Engagement, United Way of Delaware
• Heather Morrissey, Director of Operations, Delaware Art Museum
• Janet Owens, Dean of Instruction – Humanities, Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences
• James Weiler, Chair, English Department, Woodbridge High School
• Jesse Zuba, Assistant Professor of English, Delaware State University

Other participants:

• Tina Betz (Mistress of Ceremonies), Director, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Wilmington
• Debora Hansen (Prompter), Former Education Associate, Visual and Performing Arts, Delaware Department of Education
• Christian Wills (Accuracy Judge), Former Poetry Out Loud contestant, Artist/Poet/Lyricist

2020 Delaware State Finalists

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov