Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud® is a national arts education program that 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.

SOPAC has collaborated with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts as the Region 5 Partner since 2013.

Since becoming a partner, Region 5 has produced 2 State Champions, 1 State Runner-Up and 1 National Semi-Finalist.

2026-27 Competition Season

REGION 5 COMPETITION
Tuesday, February 3, 2027 at 10am
(snow date is Tuesday, February 10, 2027)
South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC)
Directions

STATE FINALS
2027 State Competition
TBD
Count Basie Center for the Arts

POL NATIONALS
National Competition
April 26 – 28, 2027
Washington, DC

Questions may be directed to Linda Beard at (973) 382-1035 or education@sopacnow.org.

For more information, visit the NJ Poetry Out Loud (NJPOL) website, https://www.njpol.org/what-is-pol, or the national Poetry Out Loud® (POL) website, https://poetryoutloud.org/.

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. Poetry Out Loud is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies and managed by Mid Atlantic Arts. 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