Volunteer: Poetry Out Loud State Championships

Event Date: March 17, 2023

Event Shift Hours: 3:15 – 8:00 pm

Event Location: NH Statehouse, Concord – 107 N Main St

We will meet near the front door/hallway of the State House.

Calendar Signups: Open

Event Website: National Poetry Out Loud Competition: http://www.poetryoutloud.org/

NH State Council of the Arts: https://www.nh.gov/nharts/programservices/POL/2023/index.html

Event Description: Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for High School students. The GSAs will be helping out at the NH State Championships. The students competing on March 17 have won the contest at their local schools, and the regional semi-finals. They are vying for a spot in the national championship in Washington, DC.

Parking Info: Parking in the capital can be challenging, so we strongly encourage volunteers to carpool. There is metered parking on the streets around the State House, and the closest parking garages are on School St. and North State St.

The Storrs St. garage will be available if you’d like to park there, but we’ve never had trouble finding spots in the metered parking near the State House. Consider where you’d like to be walking when your shift ends. Contact Emily for directions to the Storrs St. garage and instructions for parking there.

GSA Duties: Volunteer Duties will include door greeting, seating guests, assisting student competitors, and general support services. There is one job keeping an eye on the handicap entrance – this person may sit and bring a book.

We are mostly needed at the beginning of the event to help guests find their way through the State House, and then a couple of volunteers during the first intermission to help them find the restrooms. There are a few positions that will need to be staffed for the duration, but many volunteers will be able to watch at least some of the competition.

Job assignments will happen on-site before the event begins, and we will make sure to have you switch positions during the event so that everyone who wants to can watch some of the competition, and so that you’re not stuck in one place the whole time. We all shift positions every 45 minutes to keep it fun and interesting.

Orientation: We will hold the event orientation from 3:15-4:00, immediately preceding the event. After the orientation, all volunteers will be provided with their starting locations for the event.

Dress code: Full GSA uniform: GSA shirt, BLACK pants or skirt and name tag. GSA bottom up shirts / blouses preferred.

Food/Snacks: Please don’t eat while on duty. If you will need a snack during the event, you can bring something with you to eat during one of our breaks. Any snacks and drinks that are left out either in the green room or the hall are for competitors and judges. We will have a place to leave our coats and bags where you may go to eat if necessary. We strongly recommend that you eat before the event if possible.

Event difficulty: Must be able to walk and stand for long periods, however, there are several periods between intermissions when you will be able to sit and rest.

GSA Contact Person: Emily McMaster, emily@nhgsa.com, 603-244-0757