Alaya Mays and Isaac Lu were top two finishers of the Southwest Washington Regional contest
VANCOUVER — Alaya Mays of Camas High School and Isaac Lu of Cedar Tree Classical Christian School were the top two finishers of the Southwest Washington Regional Poetry Out Loud contest.
![Alaya Mays (left) and Isaac Lu (right) were the top two finishers of the Southwest Washington Regional Poetry Out Loud contest. Photo courtesy of ESD 112](https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Poetry-Out-Loud-PoetryESD112-750x563.jpg)
Students from nine schools read two poems each in the event held at Educational Service District 112 on January 30. They will advance to the state-wide competition which will be held in Tacoma on Sat., March 10.
The Washington State winner will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the national contest in May, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.
The Southwest Washington Regional Poetry Out Loud competition can be viewed on Comcast Cable channel 28/328 on Sun., Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. DVDs of this event can be purchased by contacting Karl Parker at karl.parker@esd112.org.
The regional competition, presented by ESD 112 in partnership with the Washington State Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Since beginning in 2005, more than 3 million students and 50,000 teachers from 10,000 high schools across the country have participated.
Information provided by ESD 112.