SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- On Friday, the Indiana Humanities announced the winners of the state-wide Poetry Out Loud contest and South Bend's own Eve-Marie Baxter (Pelican Academy Homeschool).

“Performing poetry is not just about a formal recital of the words but getting to know them and communicating that knowledge to the audience," Baxter said.

On March 1, eleven high school students participated in the Poetry Out Loud contest in downtown Indianapolis at the Indiana Historical Society where they recited works selected from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems.

"Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy," organizers said.

The judges for this year’s competition were Indiana State Poet Laureate Curtis Crisler, local poet C.S. Carrier, Indianapolis-based facilitator, artist, and writer Elle Roberts, educator and artist Corey Ewing, and Bloomington poet Hiromi Yoshida, with Tony Brewer as the accuracy judge.

Organizers say since the program began in 2005, more than 4.3 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud.

“Every year, I’m in awe of the raw talent and passion for poetry that each student brings to the stage,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “It’s a joy to see these students connect with each other during the event and we’re thankful for our partnerships with the Indiana Arts Commission, Poetry Out Loud, and the Poetry Foundation who help make this program possible.”

Baxter will receive $200 and advance to the national Poetry Out Loud contest this spring in Washington D.C., where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.

Pelican Academy Homeschool will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials.