SARANAC LAKE — The Adirondack Center for Writing will host the regional semifinals of the National Poetry Out Loud competition. This national program gives students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to perform poetry on stage and compete for scholarships and other prizes.

The North Country semifinals will take place at ACW on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 p.m. Teens from around the region will recite poems by some of the country’s most renowned poets and will be judged on accuracy and performance. The winner will advance to the New York State competition in March. This event is free; more information is at adirondackcenterforwriting.org/event/north-country-poetry-out-loud-competition.

“For many teens in the North Country, opportunities like this are invaluable,” said Nathalie Thill, ACW’s executive director. “This is a chance for them to not only read acclaimed poems very closely, but to perhaps go on and compete on a national stage.”

The National Poetry Out Loud program is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. It is designed to help students develop their public speaking skills, their appreciation for poetry and their understanding of literature.

For more information about the National Poetry Out Loud competition, visit poetryoutloud.org.