Classical High School student nets top 9 at National ‘Poetry Out Loud’ Championship
Published on Thursday, April 30, 2026
Washington, D.C. – With the recitation of Aunt Sue’s Stories by Langston Hughes, our R.I. Poetry Out Loud Champion, Astrid Jhonnieli Santos Adames, a senior at Classical High School, finished in the top nine at the 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C.
Poetry Out Loud is a Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) program in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and is managed by Mid Atlantic Arts, a regional arts agency.
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“On behalf of RISCA, we congratulate Astrid for such a huge accomplishment of qualifying as a national finalist after competing against state champions from 54 state and jurisdictions. Her bravery, skill and passion are an inspiration,” Todd Trebour, Executive Director of RISCA. “We have been a longtime proud partner of the NEA— having participated in all 21 Poetry Out Loud competitions.”
This year more than 130,000 high school students competed in local Poetry Out Loud competitions. In Rhode Island, 1,300 high school students, 31 teachers and 10 schools participated in RISCA’s arts education competition. Prior to the championship the competitors, with the help of their teachers, spent most of the school year studying poetry through learning, memorization and performance.
This year marks the competition’s 21st anniversary. Out of the 130,000 student competitors this year, 55 state champions advanced to the 2026 National Finals. They first compete in regional competitions, and nine qualify for the finals where they competed for a top 3 spot. Since its inception in 2005, this arts education program has reached more than 4.5 million students.
Poetry Out Loud, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with state and jurisdictional arts agencies and managed by Mid Atlantic Arts, is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools throughout the country.
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. Learn more at Arts.gov.
Mid Atlantic Arts supports artists, presenters, and organizations through unique programming, grant support, partnerships, and information sharing. Created in 1979, Mid Atlantic Arts is aligned with the region’s state arts councils and the National Endowment for the Arts. Mid Atlantic Arts combines state and federal funding with private support from corporations, foundations, and individuals to nurture diverse artistic expression while connecting people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond. To learn more about Mid Atlantic Arts visit www.midatlanticarts.org.
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) is a state agency, supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. For more information, visit RISCA’s website. www.arts.ri.gov.