Blake Sophomore Cameron Downey Wins State Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest

Cameron Downey, a tenth grade student from The Blake School in Minneapolis, was recently named the winner of the Minnesota Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest. She will now represent the state at the organization’s tenth annual national contest, which will take place April 27-29 in Washington, D.C.

Downey first participated at regions on March 12 and then advanced to state where she competed against 12 students from Minnesota and was named the overall winner. As the state winner, Downey is receiving $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington to compete for the national championship. She will also receive a $500 stipend for her school, The Blake School, to purchase poetry books. At nationals, Downey and other high school students who have advanced from a field of more than 365,000 students nationwide will match skills in reciting classic and contemporary poetry from Shakespeare to Maya Angelou.

Poetry Out Loud is the nation’s largest youth poetry recitation competition. It encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation and helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. Since its inception, three million students and 9,500 schools across the country have participated in the program.

Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

For more information about the program visit poetryoutloud.org.