The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have joined together to create Poetry Out loud, a program that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.

In New Jersey, students compete in high schools statewide, each school sending a finalist to a Regional Contest. Winners at the regional level go on to the State Finals in March, where they compete for the title of State Champion and the right to represent New Jersey at the National Finals in Washington DC in April and a chance at a $20,000 college scholarship.

Last year more than 17,000 students in New Jersey and 325,000 students nationally competed in Poetry Out Loud.

See what teachers and students are saying about Poetry Out Loud >>

Watch a conversation with National Poetry Out Loud winner Amber Rose Johnson >>

Planning is underway for the New Jersey Poetry Out Loud (NJPOL) 2010-11 competition and we'd like to invite teachers, parents and high school students to find out more about the program by signing up to receive registration information as soon as it is available. 

Once a school is registered, teachers will be provided with free multimedia curriculum materials including a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters, and access to additional information available on the national PoetryOutLoud.org web site. All of these materials are designed to align with national standards and augment regular poetry curriculums with poetry recitation and a school-level competition.

Additionally, NJPOL residency programs are available through a partnership with Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey. These residencies engage a master poet and performing artist to help teach students the depth, breadth and artistry of poetry recitation.  All schools interested in a residency program must first register for NJPOL.

I want to know more, keep me informed >>

Congratulations to the 2009-10 Poetry Out Loud NJ State Champion and Runner-Up

State Champion: Shamsuddin Abdul-Hamid (Arts High School in Newark, NJ)
Shamsuddin received $200 and and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC.
His school received $500 toward the purchase of poetry books for its library.

Shamsuddin Abdul-Hamid performs Elizabeth Barrett Browning's #43 from Sonnets from the Portuguese:

State Runner-Up: Joanna Latini (Villa Victoria Academy in Ewing, NJ)
Jonanna received $100 and her school received $200 toward the purchase of poetry books for its library.

Joanna Latini performs Maurice Kilwein Guevara's Dona Josefina Counsels Dona Concepcion Before Entering Sears:

Other State Finalists:
Jessica Leigh Anderson
Julia Gosin
Melanie Harrison
Bianca Nichole Hughes
Morgan Jerkins

View all the State Finalists >>

In 2005-06 the first NJ Poetry Out Loud was launched by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts 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.

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 and expanded to include a home school association. 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.

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 and State Champion Ijeoma Egekeze, Piscataway High School, represented New Jersey proudly in the National Finals in Washington, DC.

In 2009-10 NJ Poetry Out Loud celebrated its fifth anniversary with a record number of participants as 82 high schools and 1 home school association participated and 17,000 students got involved in reading, discussing and reciting poetry. Shamsuddin Abdul-Hamid, Arts High School, Newark was named State Champion and attended the National Finals in Washington, DC on April 25-27, 2010.

New Jersey Poetry Out Loud State Coordinator:
New Jersey State Council on the Arts
Robin Middleman: Senior Program Officer, Arts Education
phone: 609.984.6815 | email: robinm@arts.sos.state.nj.us

NJPOL Program Partner/Residency Program:
Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey
Alysia Souder, Director of Program Development
phone: 973.514.1787 x15 | email: asouder@ptnj.org

Back to Top