Niles West High School senior Jaden Conley won the 2026 Illinois Poetry Out Loud State Competition on March 2 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield. He advanced to the state competition after winning the Chicagoland Suburban regional competition in February. 

Conley performed three poems during the state competition, competing against students representing eight regions across Illinois. His selections, described as “phenomenal recitations” by judges, included “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes; “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg; and “Enigma” by Leonora Speyer. Conley advances to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C., in April.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of poetry through free educational materials and a recitation competition for high school students across the country. The program helps students build public speaking skills, develop confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies.

For more information, visit the Chicago Poetry Center website.