High school students across the state are participating in the Poetry Out Loud State Finals.

"Poetry Out Loud is a national initiative partnered with state poetry foundations to encourage high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition," said Linda Ehreth, arts education director for the North Dakota Council on the Arts and the North Dakota Poetry Out Loud coordinator.

Seventeen schools participate from North Dakota. Each school has a competition within the classroom and then hosts one for the entire school to decide who will go on to represent the school at the state competition.

For the state competition, each student performs two poems in the preliminary rounds. The judges then choose five to move on to the final round where they recite a third poem.

First-, second- and third-place prizes are then awarded. The first-place winner will receive $200, and their school will receive $500 toward poetry materials.

The student who takes second place will receive $100, and $200 for their school. The first-place winner also will receive an all-expense paid trip to the national competition in Washington, D.C., April 27-29. There will be $50,000 in scholarships and school prizes awarded at the national competition.

"Students and teachers have given great feedback," Ehreth said.

The North Dakota finals are on Tuesday at the Russell Reid Auditorium in the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck. Semi-finals will run from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., proceeded by the final round and awards ceremony at 2 p.m.

Larry Woiwode, the state poet laureate, will emcee the event. Jan Webb, executive director of the North Dakota Council on the Arts; Shadd Piehl, associate poet laureate; Cheryl Kulas, executive director of North Dakota Indian Affairs; and Bill Thomas, director of Prairie Public radio, will judge the contest. The Bismarck-based woodwind trio, Trio Apollo, and the Rolla High School Concert Choir will provide live entertainment.

The public is welcome and there will be a pizza bar, coffee house and open mic. There is no fee.

(Kay Kemmet is a student at Bismarck High School.)