National Poetry Recitation Finals to Be Held at AUA

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YEREVAN, Armenia – Following ten  regional contests held all over the Republic of Armenia, sixty  school students from grades 7 to 12 have won the chance to compete in the national finals of the 2018 National Poetry Recitation Contest (NPRC) which will be held this Sunday, May 20, at 11 am at the American University of Armenia’s (AUA) Manoogian Hall.  . The contest challenges English-language students to recite poetry in English. This year’s theme is What Makes Us Human and poets whose works are featured, include Sylvia Plath, E. E.  Cummings, Maya Angelou and Seamus Heaney.

Gyumri, Vanadzor, Hrazdan, Gavar, Masis, Yerevan, Yeghegnadzor, Sisian, Goris and Kapan all held regional contests allowing 719 students from 226 schools to take part in the contest nationwide. Now first prize winners from each form in every region will travel to Yerevan to represent their schools and marzes. 

“I am particularly proud that we have so many winners from small village schools this year,” says Peace Corps volunteer Michael Chen, who chairs the Peace Corps Committee,  theco-organizer of the contest. “For example, in Syunik marz we have two winners from Tatev, one from Shinuhayr and three from Uyts’ secondary school, and one from Gorayk. Sponsorship in Syunik from the Cronimet Charity Foundation allowed us to provide transportation for all the school students who expresses desire to take part. Due to the support from AUA, who has sponsored the contest for five years,  students from even the most remote parts of each marz had the opportunity to arrive at the nearest regional contest,” Chen concluded.

NPRC is run by Partnership and Teaching NGO  with support from Peace Corps Volunteers. “It is very important for Armenia’s young people to speak English — the international language of business,” says Artashes Torozyan, Executive Director of Partnership and Teaching NGO. “The US Ambassador Richard M. Mills Jr. and Denise Davidson, Head of UWC Dilijan will be two of our judges, indicating the level of international support for NPRC. We are also particularly grateful to Irish Ambassador Michael Forbes for the Embassy of Ireland’s financial support of NPRC,” Torozyan continued.

All are welcome to cheer on our competitors at AUA on May 20. 

Check out the poems the students will recite here.

The full list of contest sponsors can be found here.

 Photos from all the regional contests can be found here. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.