ALL NEW JERSEY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE
(Trenton, NJ) - Public and private high schools in New Jersey are invited to participate in the third annual New Jersey Poetry Out Loud (NJPOL) program for a new take on poetry and a chance to represent our state in a national competition. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA), along with its partners Playwrights Theatre of NJ (PTNJ), the NJ Theatre Alliance, Discover Jersey Arts, New Jersey Network, Rutgers/Camden Center for the Arts and the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs, cosponsor this program which is part of the national competition made possible through the funding and leadership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation.
NJ Poetry Out Loud builds on the recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form. From the slam poetry movement to the immense popularity of rap music, poetry is reaching a wide range of audiences. By inviting the dynamic aspects of contemporary spoken word performance into the high school English class, students have the opportunity to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and explore their literary heritage.
NJ Poetry Out Loud encourages students to revitalize renowned poetry in their own voices through memorization, recitation and competition. High school teachers are invited to register their schools and to find out more information at www.JerseyArts.com. The sign-up deadline for schools to officially participate in NJ Poetry Out Loud is October 28, 2007.
Once registered for NJPOL, teachers are provided with free multimedia curriculum materials – a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters, and comprehensive web site, http://www.poetryoutloud.org – all aligned to national standards to augment their regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a school-level competition.
PTNJ and NJSCA have added an optional residency component to the national POL curriculum to take students deeper into poetry. A limited number of residency grants, which brings experienced teaching artists into schools for eight-day residencies in poetry and the performing arts, are available. All schools interested in a residency must register for NJPOL first and then go to www.ptnj.org for the NJPOL residency grant guidelines and application form. The application deadline for the residency grant is September 28, 2007
All schools will follow the same pyramid competition structure, which begins at the classroom level. Winners advance to the school-wide competition, then to the regional competition and on to the state-wide competition which will take place in March, 2008 at New Jersey Network Studios. The winner of the state finals will be awarded $200 made possible by the NEA, and the chance to represent New Jersey on an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for purchase of poetry books. A runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. Additionally, the NEA will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and stipends to the winners at the National Finals.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is a division of the New Jersey Department of State. It receives funding through direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Since 1966, its volunteer members and professional staff have worked to improve the quality of life for New Jersey, its people and communities by helping the arts to flourish. Further information regarding the arts is found on an interactive web site (http://www.jerseyarts.com) and available on a toll-free hotline (1-800 THE ARTS).
