The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) congratulates Illinois Poetry Out Loud champion, Yohanna Endashaw of Niles West High School, Skokie and runner-up, Kate Roth of Central High School, Champaign. In Illinois this year, 44 high schools, 205 teachers and over 7,000 students participated in Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation contest. On March 11, sixteen students representing Illinois's eight regions competed for the state championship in front of a panel of recitation and accuracy judges at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies.

Endashaw recited three poems, winning her regional and state titles in contests overseen by the IAC. She says her favorite is "Once the World Was Perfect" by immediate-past U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo. "Although we currently are in a world where jealousy and greed divide us," Endashaw observes, "we can unite and reach peace."

Endashaw lives in Morton Grove with two younger siblings and her parents who emigrated from Ethiopia. At school she plays in the orchestra and on the basketball court in addition to tutoring students and participating in science fairs. She is also leader of the Illinois non-profit, Uplifting Health, which helps provide medical resources to the underserved. The high school junior plans to pursue a career in neuroscience while continuing her non-profit work and involvement with spoken word artists. She will represent Illinois for a second year in a row. Asked about returning to Washington, Endashaw says she looks forward to meeting people as passionate about poetry as she is. She also predicted she won't be so nervous this time.

The IAC also recognizes the students who rose to the top of their respective regions:

Central: Ella Meyer (Lutheran HS, Springfield), Ashyla Richards (Southeast HS, Springfield)

Chicago - City: Jesus Chavarria (Mather HS), Gabriel Sakoda (Von Steuben HS)

Chicago - Metro: Yohanna Endashaw (Niles West HS), Lila Peck (Deerfield HS)

Eastern: Anna Probst (Teutopolis HS), Kate Roth (Central HS, Champaign)

Northern: Ryan LeBeau (Jefferson HS, Rockford), Andrea Portilla (Jefferson HS)

South-Central: Maya Hatch (Edwardsville HS), Norah Washington (Edwardsville HS)

Southern: Nico DeGuzman (Chester HS), Leo Dunahee (Nashville Community HS)

Western: Ravin Morey (Annawan HS), Eleanor Wilbur (Orion HS)

"Congratulations to Yohanna Endashaw and to all the young people who dedicated themselves to the study of poetry and put themselves forward to perform, no small feat for anyone of any age," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Your passion for art and your hard work will represent Illinois admirably on the national stage, and I wish you the best of luck in Washington D.C. this spring."

"Poetry Out Loud serves as a positive outlet for personal expression," said Joshua Davis-Ruperto, IAC Executive Director. "I'd like to thank all Poetry Out Loud regional participants for demonstrating the power of poetry with a special congratulations to Yohanna Endashaw who will represent Illinois again in the national contest."

Poetry Out Loud National Finals will take place in Washington, D.C. from April 30 to May 2, 2024, at Lisner Auditorium of George Washington University. Yohanna Endashaw will compete in the second round of semi-finals on May 1. The event will host 55 competitors, one from each state, plus winners from the District of Columbia as well as four U.S. territories: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. The program was piloted in 2005 in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Since going national in 2006, the NEA counts more than 4.4 million students competed in 20,000 high schools.