Poetry in motion
Niskayuna High School student wins a trip to national poetry recitation competition
Congratulations to Allison Tepper for capturing first place in the Poetry Out Loud state competition on March 8 at the New York State Museum.
Tepper competed against 14 other student champions from schools around the state, but it was her compelling recitation of the poems “Onions” by William Matthews and “Fierce Girl Playing Hopscotch” by Alice Fulton, that ultimately wowed the panel of judges. She will now take her dynamic presentation to the national competition in Washington, D.C. where she’ll face student recital winners from the other 49 states.
As New York State winner, Tepper receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Poetry Out Loud finals in the nation’s capital on April 30. Niskayuna High School will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books as a result of Tepper’s success. To qualify for the state finals, the high school senior first had to face approximately 30 Niskayuna classmates in a poetry reading showdown.
Poetry Out Loud is a program created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a recitation competition to high schools across the country. Administered locally by the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Alliance for Arts Education, the program presents an opportunity for students to read a wide range of literature and build an understanding of their literary heritage. The Poetry Out Loud recitation also helps students strengthen public speaking skills and build self-confidence.
The NEA and the Poetry Foundation will award $50,000 total in scholarships and school stipends at the national finals, including a $20,000 college scholarship for the national winner. The NEA estimates that more than 100,000 students will participate in Poetry Out Loud this year.

(March 2007)