Issue 15: Poetry Out Loud, Dark Mode and Featured Coordinators for 2022!
It's January 2022, and Poetry Out Loud for many will look different again this year in the Chicago Public Schools and Northwestern Chicagoland School Districts. I'm not a poetry teacher, writer or performer (although Taylor Mali has a couple poems I love), but there's one in my family. Timothy has written poetry since an early age - writing pieces for our kids, parents, and many other significant events in our lives. For the past five years I've got to help him with the tally of the judges and accuracy judges report in EXCEL!
It all started as a request from my brother which I wasn't expecting. Not being the brilliant judge of poetry, dramatic delivery, or pretty much anything else the judges are being asked to rate, I thought Timothy really has forgotten where my gifts and interest are - until he said "I need you to be the tally the scores of the judges!"
Timothy Rey
Here's Timothy's LinkedIn profile again (it is in the animated GIF that accompanies this article).
Julie Aikins
Judging over in Kansas is Julie - I found her profile with a quick search for people listing "Poetry Out Loud" in their LinkedIn profile!
Michelle Kirk
Looks like Michelle takes care of the state contest. Another LinkedIn connection found with the power of search!
Jennifer Null
Jennifer is outside my network, but with LinkedIn Sales Navigator access, there are some magical things you can do to reach the people outside of your network.
JoAnn Baling
JoAnn is another state coordinator for the contest. Without 50 state coordinators, students couldn't rise to the national championship from their school contest to a regional contest and then state.
Peggy Dahlquist
Peggy looks like someone you should know at the national level of Poetry Out Loud!
Cindy Clarkin
Cindy had the words Poetry Out Loud along with all sorts of other public speaking information, so I assume she is involved with either a regional or state contest, but I can't be certain.
Fernando Salinas
Let's add Fernando to our list - California Poets in The Schools sounds like something related! Poet Mentor is the title listed on LinkedIn. He has this blurb attached to the information:
Welcome to Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and thePoetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states, theDistrict of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Kerry Mastriano
Kerry is the first teacher at a school wide contest I have found. Thanks to her listing this on LinkedIn, I am able to showcase her involvement.
Morgan Irons
Morgan is a Poetry Out Loud Visiting Artist at Vermont Arts Council
Andrew Butterfield
Andrew is a Teaching Artist for Poetry Out Loud at Vermont Arts Council
Travis Blankenship
Travis is the Regional Coordinator at Poetry Out Loud in Louisville, Kentucky.
JoAnn Anglin
JoAnn is the Poetry coach at Poetry Out Loud program.
Maureen Hurley
Maureen is the Alameda County Coordinator and Poetry Coach at Poetry Out Loud
Em Sea Water
Em Sea is the Poetry Out Loud | Regional Coordinator at Maryland State Arts Council. I want to read his anti-bullying poem “Charlie” and “My Pencil” Rap which appeared in almost every classroom in Maryland. Will need to do some additional searching, because it doesn't appear that it was shared on LinkedIn.
Yvette H.
Yvette is a Poetry Out Loud Coach at Iowa Arts Council.
Colette Schow
Colette is the Napa County Poetry Out Loud Coordinator at Arts Council Napa Valley
Matthew Conley
Matthew lists Teaching Artist at Arizona Poetry Out Loud. I believe this is a title my brother Timothy holds through the Poetry Center and Poetry Foundation work he has done in Chicago for years.
Kisha Nicole Foster
Kisha is the Regional Coordinator for Poetry Out Loud and an OCFB Fellow at Cleveland Public Library.
Alison Luterman
Alison lists Poetry Out Loud, so I would assume based on other information, she is involved at a school, region or state level.
Sandra Doller
Sandra is the Poetry Out Loud-Project Coordinator at Ohio Arts Council
Kimolee Eryn
This is the 3rd page of several more pages of results from my LinkedIn search. Kimolee is the Poetry Out Loud Program Coordinator at The Connecticut Office of the Arts.