Caroline Turner, a student at Ridgefield High School, was the runner up in the Poetry Out Loud competition Wednesday. She was among 29 school champions from around the state who competed in the 9th annual Connecticut State Finals for the national Poetry Out Loud contest. It was held in the Torp Theater at Central Connecticut State University in New Britian. Twenty-nine students competed in two rounds. The top five scorers were then chosen for the final round, where they each recited a third poem.
From left, is Tyus Southern, a junior at Wilton High School, one of five finalists; Caroline Turner, a senior at Ridgefield High School, the runner up; Kimmy Kaster, a senior at Joel Barlow High School, Redding, and Breana Del Gatto, a sophomore at Darien High School.
Poetry Out Loud is a nationwide contest that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. Students who participate in POL master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn to appreciate and understand poetry. The training is offered to schools free through Connecticut Humanities’ Connecticut Center for the Book program, and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation.
For further info on Poetry Out Loud, please see Connecticut Humanities’ website: http://cthumanities.org/c4b/pol