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Poetry Out Loud, initiated in 2006 by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation (National Program Website), is a nation-wide poetry recitiation competition that encourages high school students (grades 9-12) to learn about great poetry through performance. Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Now in its fifth year, over 325,000 students participated in 2010.
Playwrights Theatre has partnered with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) (NJSCA State POL Website) to facilitate the program in New Jersey.
Students grades 9-12 in any school in New Jersey are eligible to participate (public and non-public, homeschool students contact NJSCA for specific details). Competition begins at the individual school level with schools registering their contest with the NJSCA. Upon registration, schools will receive a packet of information that will guide them through the contest particulars. Website resources are also available. Each competing school sends a finalist to one of four Regional Contests. Regional winners compete in the State Finals in March, and the State Champion represents New Jersey at the National Finals in Washington, DC in April. The winner of the National Finals receives a $20,000 college scholarship.
In 2011, more than 16,000 students will participate in New Jersey.
As part of the partnership with NJSCA, Playwrights Theatre provides residencies in the schools, where professional poets and performers teach the basics of poetry and performance as part of the school's preparation for the contest. Residencies and costs vary in length and format. Limited grants are available to help fund the cost of a residency.
Getting Involved
For a competition timeline and application materials, please go to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Discover Jersey Arts Poetry Out Loud Webpage or contact:
Robin Middleman, Senior Program Office, Arts Education, New Jersey State Council on the Arts
Phone: 609-984-6815
Email: robinm@arts.sos.state.nj.us
For information on in-school residencies only, please go to the Playwrights Theatre Poetry Out Loud Residency Webpage or contact:
Alysia Souder, Director of Program Development, Playwrights Theatre
Phone: 973-514-1787 X15
Email: asouder@ptnj.org
For More Information
Click on one of the following links below:
Playwrights Theatre's Poetry Out Loud Residencies
New Jersey State Website for Statwide Contest
YouTube Videos of Previous NJ Poetry Out Loud Performances
National Poetry Out Loud Website for Information on National Contest
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