Poetry Reading Competition

A poetry reading competition? With a big scholarship ($20,000) as a prize? Amazing. And, thrilling.

USAToday (AP) reports, "The National Endowment for the Arts and the publisher of Poetry Magazine have organized a national poetry reading competition for high school students, with the winner receiving a $20,000 college scholarship."

The program, called Poetry Out Loud: The National Recitation Contest has two aims: "One half is education; students come into contact with great poetry and language and learn it by heart. There's also an equal, and often overlooked practical importance. It will improve the student's command of language, and will provide much needed training for speaking in public."