Poetry Out Loud

Students from across Essex and Union counties will come to SOPAC to compete in the Region 5 Poetry Out Loud (POL) competition!

Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national poetry recitation program for students in grades 9-12, or the age/grade equivalent.  POL encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, learn about literary history and contemporary life as well as compete for awards and scholarships totaling $100,000.  Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 3 million students and 50,000 teachers from 10,000 schools in every state, Washington DC, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Teachers of participating classes use a toolkit to teach poetry recitation and run classroom competitions. Students select, memorize, and recite poems from an anthology of more than 900 classic and contemporary poems. Beginning at the classroom level, winners will advance to the school wide competition, then to the regional competitions, the state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, D.C.!

For more information visit the NJ Poetry Out Loud (NJPOL) website or the National Poetry Out Loud (POL) website.

Any teacher or administrator at a New Jersey public, charter, parochial school or home school organization serving grades 9-12, or the age/grade equivalent can register for the program. Registered schools can implement the NJPOL program in any classroom, club or after-school program.  Additionally, POL recently announced opportunities for parents, community leaders, organizations, and other interested facilitators to engage with the program.

Questions about the Region 5 Poetry Out Loud Competition may be directed to Linda Beard at (973) 382-1035 or education@sopacnow.org.

Poetry Out Loud is Presented in partnership by

New Jersey Poetry Out Loud is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Count Basie Center for the Arts.  Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program, led by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, in partnership with the state and jurisdictional arts agencies across the country.  In New Jersey, the State Arts Council and the Basie work with a growing network of regional partners to implement the program statewide.

SOPAC’s Arts Education programs are generously sponsored by

Accessibility & Accommodation at SOPAC

If you or a member of your party needs assistance, please notify SOPAC at the time your tickets are purchased. Contact the SOPAC Box Office at (973) 313-2787 or boxoffice@SOPACnow.org.