Winning the local competition, and the semi-finals in Springfield, Algonquin Regional High School student Ben Rutan headed to the Old South Meeting House in Boston, where he competed in the Poetry Out Loud state finals on Sunday, March 10.
About Poetry Out Loud, according to its website:
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
After successful pilot programs in Washington, DC, and Chicago, Poetry Out Loud was launched in high schools nationwide in the spring of 2006 with tens of thousands of students participating. POL has grown every year with over 365,000 students competing in 2011-2012.