Lake Region student heads to Poetry Out Loud competition

Lake Region Union High School student Benjamin Pellizzari is among four students from the Northeast Kingdom who will travel to the Barre Opera House on March 8 to compete in the 2018 Vermont Poetry Out Loud State Competition. These young people will be among students from 33 Vermont high schools representing 12 counties to vie for the state championship in the national poetry recitation competition. The state winner will compete in the national competition in April.

“The Poetry Out Loud program not only connects students to poets and poetry, it helps students develop transferable skills like communication and analysis that prepare them for college, career, and life,” said Troy Hickman, Vermont Arts Council education programs manager.

Also competing in Barre are Lydia Wright from Hazen Union School, Sadie Chamberlain from Lyndon Institute, and Lily Sullivan from Saint Johnsbury Academy.

This year, 40 high schools and more than 5,200 students participated in classroom contests, with winners proceeding to school competitions. Each winner at the school level will recite at the semifinals in Barre. From there, ten students will be selected to compete in the finals on March 15 at the Elley-Long Music Center in Colchester. The finals will be aired live on the Vermont PBS website and then broadcast on Vermont PBS on March 29, at 7 p.m. The winner of the Vermont state competition will have an opportunity to compete at the national finals in Washington, D.C. — from the Vermont Arts Council.