February 16, 2026 – Jillian Garcia of Eisenhower High School took first place at the Central Illinois Regional Poetry Out Loud Contest on February 12, 2026, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.
Garcia said winning the regional championship was “an absolute dream” and added that the experience helped her better understand poetry and develop a deeper connection to it.
Ace O’Malley of Southeast High School placed second, and Emma Selhime of Pawnee High School finished third.
More than 155 students and 21 teachers from six central Illinois high schools participated in the 2025–2026 Poetry Out Loud season, which began in classrooms last fall and culminated in the regional competition organized by the Springfield Area Arts Council.
Garcia and O’Malley will advance to the Illinois State Poetry Out Loud Contest on March 2 at 10 a.m. at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. Special guest Mark Turcotte, Illinois Poet Laureate, is scheduled to appear. The event is free and open to the public. The state champion will advance to the national finals in Washington, D.C., receiving $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip.
Poetry Out Loud in Illinois is a collaborative project of the Illinois Arts Council and six regional arts agencies. The national Poetry Out Loud program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with state arts agencies and includes participants from all 50 states and several U.S. territories.
