Rachael has been selected to represent Lake County in the State Finals of the Annual Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest. During the reception she will perform two of the classic poems that she has chosen to memorize for the state competition.

The reception is open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Rachael is an independent study high school student in Middletown. She writes poetry and prose and can be seen at open mics around the county reciting her own material or her favorite classics. She is a confident young lady who feels comfortable in the spotlight. Her range encompasses both humorous and dramatic material.

Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project of National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. It seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry-recitation and performance. The program builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among youth.

Poetry Out Loud provides standards based curriculum materials for use in high school classrooms. There is no cost to the schools to participate and all materials are provided free of charge. Any education professionals wanting more information about the program are encouraged to attend this event. Materials will be available at the reception or can be downloaded from poetryoutloud.org.

Poetry Out Loud in Lake County is supported by and funded through the California Arts Council and Lake County Arts Council.