‘Poetry Out Loud’ state finalists announced

JUNEAU — Colony High School student Tong Thao will represent the Valley in this year’s state finals for the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest at 5 p.m., March 19 at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center.

Sponsored in Alaska by the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, the national competition is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.

Winners at the state level advance to the National Finals in Washington, D.C. During 2011-12, some 365,000 students from more than 2,000 high schools participated in the program.