GGUSD Student Earns Top Spot in OC Poetry Out Loud Competition

• Friday, March 18, 2022

La Quinta High School Student Emily Dang earned second place in the county level of the National 2022 Poetry Out Loud competition which had more than 500 students participating. This week, Marcus Omari from Poetic Reform Party and Elizabeth AB Miller, the Program manager for Arts Orange County visited La Quinta to present Emily with an award in recognition of her second-place win.

Due to her excellent performance in the Poetry Out Loud competition and the OC Poetry Out Loud Showcase and Open Mic on February 12^th, Emily was selected to be the single student to deliver her poem at the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Awards Ceremony at the Segerstrom Center on May 17.

“GGUSD students continue to earn prestigious accolades for their wonderful skills and talents and we are so proud of Emily for shining in this arena,” said Board of Education President Bob Harden. “Kudos to Creative Writing Program Advisor Amanda LaPera on helping students sharpen these important skills.”

Poetry Out Loud 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. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.

Students had several weeks to memorize two poems from the National Poetry Out Loud anthology, record those poems and submit them to the county’s panel of judges.  Submissions were scored on physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, overall performance and accuracy.

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