A Sacramento County student was recognized this week for her achievement in a statewide poetry competition, highlighting the role of arts education and creative expression among young people.
Beza Getahun, the Sacramento County champion of the Poetry Out Loud program, earned the title of statewide winner in the program’s creative writing component, known as Poetry Ourselves. She shared her work during the April 13 Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Commission meeting.
“This program gives young people an opportunity to engage with language and storytelling in a creative way,” said Melissa Cirone, grants and programs manager with the City’s Office of Arts and Culture, who introduced Beza at the meeting. “Beza’s recognition at the state level reflects both her talent and the importance of supporting arts education in our community.”
Poetry Out Loud is a national program supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and administered in California through the California Arts Council.
The City of Sacramento serves as the state and local partner for Sacramento County and receives annual funding from the California Arts Council to support the program. The City provides this funding to the Sacramento County Office of Education, which coordinates the program locally and facilitates student involvement.
The competition begins at the classroom level and advances through school and county events. County champions move on to statewide competitions, which are typically held in Sacramento at the State Capitol or nearby legislative offices.
After earning first place at the county level, Beza advanced to compete among top student poets across California, where she was awarded the top honor in Poetry Ourselves, a component focused on original student-written work and open only to county champions.
Representatives from the Sacramento County Office of Education attended the commission meeting in support of Beza and the program. Her presentation included a live poetry recitation.