About Poetry Out Loud
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 55 state and jurisdictional arts agencies.
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.
2026 Poetry Out Loud
Myles Cherette from Franklin High School in Somerset, NJ, and Noelle Sapp, from Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Bridgewater, NJ were named the Region 4 Finalists at the 2026 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud Region 4 competition, part of the National Poetry Out Loud recitation program. The adjudication took place on February 2, 2026 at MPAC in Morristown, NJ.
Myles Cherette and Noelle Sapp will represent Region 4 at the Poetry Out Loud State Finals on March 3, 2026, at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank. Participants from 6 regions throughout the state will compete for the title of State Champion. The State Champion will move on to represent New Jersey at the National Finals in Washington D.C. later this spring.
Poetry Out Loud 2024
Poetry Out Loud 2023
