2008 Poetry Out Loud! New Jersey State Finals

"Learning great poetry by heart develops the mind and imagination. It isn't just an arts program. By immersing themselves in powerful language and ideas, the students will develop their ability to speak well, especially in public. This is a skill they will use in the workplace and the community for the rest of their lives."

Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

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! builds on that momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with Arts Agencies in each state to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud!, which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

Poetry Out Loud! uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to school-wide competitions, then to state-capital competitions, and ultimately to the National Finals.

After successful pilot programs in Washington, DC, and Chicago, the second phase of Poetry Out Loud! was launched in high schools across America in the spring of 2006 with tens of thousands of students participating. The program continued to grow during the 2006-2007 school year, culminating in the 2007 National Finals in Washington, DC, on May 1, 2007.

NJN Public Television was the first television station to host and produce a Poetry Out Loud! event. This year NJN opened the doors of its Trenton studios to New Jersey’s six finalists and an audience of hundreds of students, as well as poets and other special guests, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

• The National Endowment for the Arts
• The Poetry Foundation
• The New Jersey State Council on the Arts
• Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey
• NJN Public Television & Radio
• Discover Jersey Arts
• Bergen County Division on Cultural & Historic Affairs
• Rutgers, Camden Center for the Arts

Funding for NJ Poetry Out Loud! provided by:

• The National Endowment for the Arts
• The Poetry Foundation
• The New Jersey State Council on the Arts
• The Karma Foundation

For more information:

• www.poetryoutloud.org
• www.nea.gov
• www.poetryfoundation.org
• www.njartscouncil.org
• www.ptnj.org
• www.jerseyarts.org