Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national poetry recitation program for students in grades 9-12, or the age/grade equivalent.
National Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies of the United States.
In New Jersey, POL is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in collaboration with Count Basie Center for the Arts. Mayo Performing Arts Center is proud to be a Region 4 partner for the competition.
Poetry Out Loud encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.
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.
This year’s Region 4 competition will take place on Monday February 10th, 2025 ( Snow Date: February 18th 10am).
For more information about New Jersey Poetry Out Loud, the State Finals, and more, visit www.njpol.org
For more information on the 2025 competition please email Jenny Boeckel, Education Manager: jboeckel@mayoarts.org.
