Poetry Out Loud is an annual (November - March) free, tiered recitation competition supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and California Arts Council, where students choose poems from the POL website anthology (www.poetryoutloud.org) that resonate or speak to them. Students memorize and recite these poems in a performance competition, beginning at the classroom/school level or afterschool program. One student champion will represent their school/program at the San Francisco County competition, the county champion will compete at the state competition, and the state champion will represent California at the national competition. The national champion wins a grand prize of $20,000! POL is a way to introduce/expose teens to Literature/Poetry, developing their public speaking skills, and being able to add this onto their resume/personal statements/scholarships for college as well.

For questions about the Poetry Out Loud (POL) Program, please contact Program Officer Jonell T. Molina at jonell.molina@sfgov.org

Poetry Out Loud Website 

The Arts Education News and Resources section will provide share updates on local, state, and federal Arts Education developments; offering upcoming professional development opportunities and Arts Education Meetings.

In the News

SFUSD Arts Department Newsletter #35 January 2023 - Click Here

New Art on Market Street Poster Series Highlight How Different People, and a Pigeon, Each Navigate San Francisco's Iconic Market Street - Click Here

California Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Proposition 28 and Prioritizes Arts Education for All Students; Create CA Calls for Equity and Accountability in its Implementation - Click Here for Report by Create CA

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

• American Artscape Magazine - Click here for Current Issue - Communities"Latinx" Original Threads: Equity and Access in the Arts for Hispanic/
  • Previous Issues 2005 - 2023 - Click Here
• NEA Art Works Podcast - Click Here

Arts Education Resources in the CommuniTY

Youth Art Exchange (YAX)
Youth Art Exchange is offering free classes for San Francisco Public High School Youth. For more info call or text 415-574-8137 or apply online: https://www.youthartexchange.org/disciplines

• Advanced Architecture Firm
• Video Art
• Darkroom Photography
• Intro to Architecture
• Fashion Design
• Printmaking
• Music Production
• Animation

Teacher Preview night at the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)
Take a break from class and take a night out to the theatre! A.C.T.’s Education and Community Programs Department offers substantial discounts to our shows for teachers in the Bay Area. New this year! Teacher Preview nights include hosted pre-show drinks and snacks, a workshop to help you prepare your students for the show, and a ticket for the preview performance. Tickets are just $20, or free if you’ve already reserved seats for your class to the student matinee. 

• Poor Yella Rednecks: Vietgone 2 | Thu, Apr 6 | 6 p.m. Workshop, 7 p.m. Curtain
  *No Teacher Preview night will be held for A Christmas Carol.

Tickets are $20 per person, free if you book a Student Matinee! | Use code TEACHER when checking out. | To Learn More: https://www.act-sf.org/community/

Expressions Challenge | Entry Due Friday March 31st, 2023 at 9:59 pm Pacific Standard Time
Express What Matters Through The Arts | YouTube Video: About Expressions Challenge | Expressions Challenge Entry Details - Review 

Eligibility: 

• Open to all legal United States residents in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.
• Between 13 and 18 years of age and currently enrolled in high school as of date of Entry.
• Professional artists, videographers, photographers and writers, or anyone who earns at least 20% of their income by providing these services are not eligible to enter this Contest. Employees of Walgreen Co. (“Sponsor”), GoldStar Communications (“Administrator”) and each of their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household are not eligible.

The Challenge | Each of the 4 categories listed below will consist of a first, second, and third place winner for a total of 12 winners.
First Place – $2,000 | Second Place – $1,750 | Third Place – $1,500

People's Champs | Based solely on the number of votes entries receive.
Four $1,000 cash prizes will be awarded, one per category to the entries that receive the most votes.

Teacher Champions | Four educators will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize for their support and embrace of Expressions in their classroom.

Choose a Topic: Young people are asked to think about what is having an impact on them to draw inspiration for their entry. Topics can include, but not limited to:

• Impact of Social Media
• Cyber Bullying
• Self-Esteem
• Mental Health
• Gender Identity
• Gun Violence
• Social Justice
• Drug Abuse
• Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Select a Category: Select from one of four categories to submit an entry. Each participant can submit one entry per category solo or with a group of up to five people.

• Spoken Word:  Comprised of video/audio-recorded poetry. The videos must be either a voice recording or teen reciting their piece in front of a camera. No video storytelling. Poetry submitted cannot be used in the creative writing category.
• Visual Arts: Comprised of drawings, paintings, graphic design, photography, and sculptures.
• Media Arts: Comprised of music, PSA’s, and video entries telling a story. Entries in this category can be no longer than three minutes in length.
• Creative Writing: Comprised of up to 1,000-word short stories, poetry, and essays. Entries submitted in this category would need to be in a PDF file format. Poetry submitted cannot be used in the Spoken Word category.

Upload Your Entry: Upload entries via mobile, tablet or computer. Acceptable upload file formats are as follows:

• .MP4
• .MOV
• .JPG
• .PNG
• .GIF
• .PDF

ARTS EDUCATION RESOURCE PAGES

Arts Education Alliance of the BAY AREA (AEABA) Website  

California Arts Council Website 

CReate CA Website  

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) PreK-12 Arts Department Website  

National Endowment For the Arts (NEA) Website  

https://missionculturalcenter.org/event/afrolatinidad-en-la-bahia-de-san-francisco-presente/?event_date=2023-02-28The Artivist-in-Residence (AIR) is a grant program for a nonprofit arts organization to hire teaching artists as part-time hourly employees to design and implement socially responsive art and creative exploration learning experiences (e.g. in-person, hybrid, remote) as a means to heal and build community. In turn, teaching artists are provided equitable compensation and opportunities to further their artistic practices and professional development as educators in a three-year cohort.

For questions about this grant category, please contact Program Officer Jonell T. Molina at jonell.molina@sfgov.org or 415-252-2218.