Poetry Out Loud 2026 Chicagoland Winners!

The Chicago Poetry Center is now in its ninth year as Chicagoland regional host organization for the national youth poetry competition, Poetry Out Loud. CPC is grateful for the support of the Illinois Arts Council Agency and for the opportunity to partner for this year’s competition, which marked America’s 250th anniversary with students reciting poems based on America’s rich and diverse history.

On February 4 and February 11, teens from the Chicago city and suburban schools competed for a spot at the state competition and the chance to advance to the national competition in Washington, DC in May to win $20,000! The first and second place city and suburban winners will progress to the Illinois state competition level in Springfield on March 2.

City Regional Participants & Winners

Yarely Lopez (First Place) Walter Payton College Prep

 Victoria Syverson (Second Place) University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

Uzair Jalali (Third Place/Alternate) Von Steuben High School

Richard Sareth   Stephen T. Mather High School

Cordelia Rodriguez     Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences

Metro/Suburban Regional Participants & Winners

Jaden Conley (First Place) Niles West High School

Elliana Sheehan (Second Place) Wheaton Warrenville South High School

Kaci Figures (Third Place/Alternate) Homewood-Flossmoor High School

Alexia Erdei John Hersey High School

Scarlet Tabuena   Hinsdale Central High School

Luigi Biscaglio Elmwood Park High School

Adriana Escho  Niles North High School

Isabella Reyes Rolling Meadows High School

2026 Chicagoland Regionals Judges Panel

Chicagoland Regional Poetry Out Loud Coordinator: Joy Young

  Recitation Judges: Alyx Chandler, Madison Mae Parker, C. Russell Price

Scorekeeper: Fullamusu Bangura

Accuracy Judge: Janel Galnares

Prompter: Ayme Frye

M.C./ Speaker: Jennifer Karmin

The Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through analysis, memorization, performance, and competition.  The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, in conjunction with state arts agencies, support this nation-wide program with participants from all fifty states plus Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Congrats to all the students who participated in the competition. We wish good luck to our city and suburban winners as they prepare for the state competition. Many thanks to the CPC poets and community that supported this effort. For more information about the competition, visit the Poetry Out Loud website.

Photos by Glenn Willoughby courtesy of Chicago Poetry Center

This program is made possible with support by the Illinois Arts Council.