Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry. There has been a recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of hip-hop music.
Poetry Out Loud (POL) builds on this momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word and theatre into the English class (as well as Drama, Forensics, and other appropriate classes).
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation joined together to create Poetry Out loud, a program that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. Students compete in high schools throughout New Jersey, each school sending a finalist to a Regional Contest. Winners at the regional level compete in the State Finals taking place in March at Drumthwacket, the official residence of the Governor of New Jersey. The winner of the State Finals will represent New Jersey at the National Poetry Out Loud Finals in Washington DC in April.
Administrated by state arts agencies of the United States and now in its fifth year, Poetry Out Loud serves each state, the U.S Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, with more than 300,000 students participating annually.
The inspiration for this competition is to promote the art of poetry in both the classroom and the community. This program provides an entry point for many students to learn to love poetry and find poems that will stay with them for a lifetime.
February 10, 2010 | Region 1Contest | 10AM-noon (Snow Date: Feb 17) Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties
Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts - Gordon Theater (Camden)
February 18, 2010 | Region 2 Contest | 10AM-noon (Snow date: Feb 23)
Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union Counties Two River Theater Company ( Red Bank)
February 24, 2010 |Region 3 Contest | 10AM-noon (Snow date: Feb 25) Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren Counties Ciccone Theatre, Bergen Community College
Watch 2009 Poetry Out Loud New Jersey State Champion
Ijeoma Egekeze, Piscataway HS
The first NJ Poetry Out Loud was launched by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in 2005-06 as a pilot program in 7 high schools representing different regions of NJ. The Arts Council partnered with Playwrights Theatre of NJ/New Jersey Writers Project, which brings writing residencies to over 150 schools statewide annually. The pilot integrated an artist residency into the POL program. The 7 school finalists went on to compete in the state final at NJN studios in Trenton. Our 2006 state winner, Teika Chapman, Trenton Central High School, went on to proudly represent our state at the National Finals in Washington, DC.
In 2006-07 NJPOL expanded statewide and a total of 34 high schools representing 14 counties participated. Three regional contests conducted at NJ theatres sent 6 regional champions to the state finals at NJN Studios on March 22, 2007. Our 2007 state champion, Naja Selby, Arts High School, Newark, represented NJ proudly at the National Finals in Washington, DC and became one of only 12 national finalists. Naja won a $1,000 scholarship, $500 in poetry books for her school and two round trip tickets from Southwest Airlines.
L to R: Jacob Roberts, Region 3 Finalist, Home Schoolers of New Jersey; Mary Catherine Merwitz, Region 2 Finalist, Villa Victoria Academy; Ijeoma Egekeze, NJ State Champion, Piscataway HS; Jason Stewart, NJPOL State Runner-Up & Region 1 Finalist, Willingboro HS; Nadia Khan, Region 1 Finalist, Mainland Regional HS; Shamsuddin Abdul-Hamid, Region 3 Finalist, Arts HS, Newark.
In 2007-08 the Council continued to expand the program statewide. The program partners expanded to include Bergen County Division of Historic and Cultural Affairs and Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts. A total of 44 high schools representing 14 counties participated. New this year was the participation of a home school association. Three regional contests took place at Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts; Two River Theatre Company, and at Williams Center for the Arts. Two finalists from each Region then competed at the State Finals at NJN Studios, Trenton on March 27, 2008, which was webcast live and featured on NJN’s digital cable channel. Poetry Out Loud received additional support from the Karma Foundation and New Jersey Network.
Our 2008 State Champion, Allison Strong, Union Hill High School, Union City, represented our state proudly and was in the top five students of 52 competing in the National Finals in Washington, DC April 27 – 29. Allison won a $1,000 scholarship, $500 in poetry books for her school.
In 2008-09 the number of participating students grew from 5,000 to 8,500. For the first time 2 regional Teacher Workshops were offered. Two finalists from each Region competed at the State Final at NJN Studios, Trenton on March 19, 2009. Our 2009 State Champion, Ijeoma Egekeze, Piscataway High School, represented NJ proudly in the National Finals in Washington, DC April 26 – 28, 2009.
We are pleased to have two NJ arts organizations as Regional Program partners this year. Each partner, along with the Arts Council, will manage one of the three regions and conduct all arrangements for the regional contest. The state has been divided into three regions by counties. It is important to note which County and Region your school is in on the registration form and to submit the form to the regional contact as noted:
REGION 1: Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts
Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties
Contact: Noreen Scott-Garrity, Deputy Director for Outreach/Curator of Education & Community Arts
E-mail: ngarrity@camden.rutgers.edu
Phone: 856-225-6306
REGION 2: New Jersey State Council on the Arts
Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union Counties
Contact: Robin Middleman, Senior Program Officer, Arts Education
E-mail: robinm@arts.sos.state.nj.us
Phone: 609-984-6815
REGION 3: Bergen County Division of Cultural & Heritage Affairs
Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren Counties
Contact: Carol Messer, Executive Director
Email: cmesser@co.bergen.nj.us
Phone: 201-336-7276
NJPOL Program Partner/Residency Program Partner:
Playwrights Theatre of NJ
Contact: Alysia Souder, Director of Program Development
Email: asouder@ptnj.org
Phone: 973-514-1787 x 15
New Jersey State Poetry Out Loud Coodinator:
Robin Middleman: Senior Program Officer, Arts Education, New Jersey State Council on the Arts
phone: 609.984.6815 | email: robinm@arts.sos.state.nj.us
view recitations of the six 2009
New Jersey State Finalists here >>>
