Astrid Jhonnieli Santos Adames, a senior at Classical High School, was named the Rhode Island champion of the 2026 Poetry Out Loud Recitation Competition on March 7 at the Greenwich Odeum, according to an April 15 announcement. Adames secured first place with her recitations of “Aunt Sue’s Stories” by Langston Hughes, “Saturday’s Child” by Countee Cullen, and “Our Own Twelve Anti-Suffragist Reasons” by Alice Duer Miller.
Adames will advance to the regional competition on April 28 at Lisner Auditorium in George Washington University, Washington, D.C., with winners proceeding to national finals. The event will be streamed online for public viewing.
During the state championship, Peter Devaney from Portsmouth Abbey School placed second and Arianna Roy from La Salle Academy took third place. Honorable mentions went to Teeghan Riley of Central Falls High School and Esra Erginbas of Moses Brown School. Other state finalists included students from Providence Country Day School, East Providence High School, Johnston High School, Chariho Regional High School and Central High School.
“On behalf of RISCA, congratulations to Astrid, all the school finalists, teachers and mentors who participated in this year’s Poetry Out Loud. We wish Astrid the best of luck in the national competition,” said Todd Trebour, Executive Director of RISCA. “Our arts agency has been a longtime partner with the NEA— having participated in all 21 Poetry Out Loud competitions. These students dedicated themselves to months of preparation for this key arts education program, and we are inspired by their display of bravery, skill and passion.”
More than 1,300 Rhode Island students representing ten schools participated this year through poetry study and performance over several months. The winner receives $200 along with a $500 stipend for their school; second place receives $100 plus a $200 library stipend.
Poetry Out Loud is an initiative supported nationally by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with state agencies like RISCA. The program encourages poetry study among high schoolers across America through educational materials and competitions.
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts promotes growth of arts throughout towns and cities across Rhode Island according to its official website. It oversees public art galleries such as Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill in Providence according to its official website, serves as the state’s official agency for arts initiatives according to its official website, provides grants and technical assistance while acting as liaison to local arts communities according to its official website, protects freedom of artistic expression as part of its mission according to its official website, and operates statewide fostering further growth according to its official website.
