Area high schools to participate in national program that emphasizes language skills, public speaking.

 All over America and right here in Ventura  County parents are telling their children "Memorize a poem.  You could win a $20,000 scholarship."  It's true, thanks to Poetry Out Loud.

At stake are hundreds of dollars on the state competition level and thousands at the national finals of Poetry Out Loud -- a competition run by the California Arts Council in this state and started by the National Endowment for the Arts to engage high-school students in the presentation of poetry through memorization and performance.

High school students from throughout Ventura County will gather at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark at 4:00pm on Wednesday, February 20 to compete in the countywide poetry recitation competition.  The Ventura County Arts Council is facilitating the county competition.  County members of California Poets in the Schools are participating as coaches and judges.  The City of Moorpark is hosting the county level contest.  The event is free and open to the public.

A series of powerful performances are guaranteed.  Each school winner has the opportunity to be coached by a member of the California Poets in the Schools  Each student will recite two poems and will be judged on their recitation.  The poems were selected by the students from the anthology at www.poetryoutloud.org <http://www.poetryoutloud.org/>; .  One poem is to be less than 25 lines and one poem must have been written pre-20th century.

 One student will go on to represent Ventura County at the State competition in Sacramento on March 14.  Each state representative will go on to the national level to compete for prizes including one $20,000 scholarship.  Participating county high schools include: El Camino High School, Ventura; Foothill Technology High School, Ventura; La Reina High School, Thousand Oaks; Moorpark High School; Moorpark High School at Moorpark College; Nordoff High School, Ojai; Pacifica High School, Oxnard; Providence School, Oxnard; Royal High School, Simi Valley; Thousand Oaks High School; and Ventura High School.

 Ventura County Poetry Out Loud Competition is Wednesday, February 20 from 4:00 to 6:00pm at the High Street Arts Center, 45 E. High Street, Moorpark.  The public is invited to attend this free event.  For more information on the Poetry Out Loud program call the Ventura County Arts Council at (805) 658-2213 or go online to www.poetryoutloud.org.