Once again, headed to the National Finals to represent Colorado in Washington, DC

DENVER — Gov. Polis, Colorado Creative Industries (CCI), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), and Empowered are pleased to announce that Rize Simmons of Windsor High School in Weld County has been named the 2025 Colorado Poetry Out Loud State Champion.

The Colorado Creative Industries (CCI), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT), and Lighthouse Writers Workshop announced today that PBS12 will air a documentary featuring Colorado’s state finals for Poetry Out Loud. This annual event was held on March 1, 2023 at the Lakewood Cultural Center.

Colorado Creative Industries announced in March 2022 that Aidyn Reid of Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs was named the 2022 Colorado Poetry Out Loud State Champion.