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Alameda County high school students are among hundreds across the state working hard to interpret, memorize and recite classical poetry. At stake are hundreds of dollars on the state competition level and thousands at the national finals of Poetry Out Loud-a competition run by the California Arts Council in the state and started by the National Endowment for the Arts to engage high-school students in the presentation of poetry through memorization and performance.

"The Poetry Out Loud program celebrates the County's commitment to youth and the support of the belief that the arts and creativity are an essential component to Alameda County’s successful and thriving community," said Rachel Osajima, the Director of the Alameda County Arts Commission. "This is the third year that the Alameda County Arts Commission has organized the Alameda County competition."

Participating schools include Amador High School in Pleasanton, Dublin High School in Dublin, Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Oakland Military Institute, and others.

The Alameda County Poetry Out Loud competition will be on Thursday, February 13th, 4:30pm at the Alameda County Lakeside Plaza Building, 1401 Lakeside Drive, 11th Floor, Oakland. This event in open to the public.

The California Arts Council has partnered with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation to support the expansion of California Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the state's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. School site winners advance to the county competition on February 13, then to the state competition to be held on March 24 and 25, and ultimately to the National Finals on April 29 and 30. Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. A runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends at the National Finals will be awarded to the winners.

"This program is amazing. It was beautiful to watch the students interpret and express their understanding of the poems they chose," said Erik Sherer, Librarian, Amador High School, Pleasanton.

For more information on the Alameda County competition on February 13 contact the Alameda County Arts Commission by email artscommission@acgov.org or phone at (510) 208-9646. For more information about the program, please visit www.cac.ca.gov and www.poetryoutloud.org; reporters interested in more information about the statewide program may contact CAC communications director Mary Beth Barber at mbarber@caartscouncil.com or 916-322-6588.

CSSSA is a four-week, intensive pre-college program for talented and motivated high school students in the arts, held on the campus of the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia. CSSSA has an annual student body of over 500 young artists from all over California and beyond! CSSSA offers a unique opportunity for students to spend one month immersed in a creative laboratory experiencing the inspiring and rigorous daily life of a professional artist. As a bridge from high school to college, the program awards top students the Herb Alpert Foundation's Emerging Young Artist Scholarships for collegiate study or pre-professional training programs, as well as three units of California State University course credit and names them "California Arts Scholars" which distinguishes CSSSA graduates from their peers as they proceed to college and career. Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 CSSSA Summer Session. The requirements, forms, and instructions can be found on the CSSSA website under each artistic discipline in the Admissions section. CSSSA is proud that no student is denied admission to the program due to financial circumstances. Each year, approximately 40% of students receive financial aid to attend the summer arts program. All materials must be postmarked by February 28th. Visit www.csssa.ca.gov.

Are you curious about what's happening with the public artwork for Castro Valley Boulevard? Read the Project Update (pdf)* for all the details. You can also visit the Castro Valley Library to see a display about the project including material samples, illustrations, and other information. The display will be on view through mid-November.

The Office of the Alameda County Arts Commission is pleased to announce that Miriam Klein Stahl has been awarded the contract for the Castro Valley Boulevard Streetscape Improvement Project. The Streetscape improvement project will help to create a safe, comfortable and attractive downtown Castro Valley. As part of the overall project, the artwork will be integrated into the seating and gateway markers along the Boulevard. Watch a short video about the artwork.