Homer crowns Poetry Out Loud champion By Staff report • February 1, 2018 10:59 am Homer High School student Iris Downey performs during a Poetry Out Loud event at the school Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018 in Homer, Alaska. Held during the school’s Focused On Learning session, the competition is part of a national organization that teaches students memorization, recitation, public speaking skills and literary history. Poetry Out Loud has reached more than 3 million students and 50,000 teachers from every state, as well as Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, according to the organization’s website. (Photo courtesy Sean Campbell) Staff report Homer News