(RED BANK / MARCH 12, 2025): Hadassah Broughton, a sophomore from Stuart Country Day School in Princeton, was named State Champion at the 2025 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud State Finals, part of the National Poetry Out Loud recitation program. The adjudication took place on March 12th at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ. 

Hadassah will represent New Jersey at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington D.C. on May 5-7th, 2025. State Champions will compete for the national Poetry Out Loud title and the chance to win prizes, including college scholarships.

Ethan Buchanan, a freshman from Union County Vocational-Technical School Academy for the Performing Arts in Scotch Plains earned the title of State Runner-Up.

Poesía en voz alta es un programa nacional de educación artística que fomenta el estudio de la gran poesía ofreciendo materiales educativos gratuitos y un concurso dinámico de recitación para estudiantes de secundaria de todo el país. Poetry Out Loud es una asociación del Fondo Nacional de las Artes, la Poetry Foundation y las 55 agencias artísticas estatales y jurisdiccionales.

“The Count Basie Center was once again honored to have hosted all of this year’s Poetry Out Loud finalists from across the Garden State,” dicho Adam Philipson, presidente y director ejecutivo, Centro para las Artes Count Basie. “It’s inspiring to witness these students and the work they put into reciting these poems and expressing themselves creatively in an age where expression is increasingly questioned. We’re proud to partner with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in presenting this annual event, and we look forward to watching Hadassah represent New Jersey in the national competition in May.”  

The State Finals was the culmination of a statewide initiative that began in the fall of 2024 and included 12,314 New Jersey students from 71 high schools and organizations across the state.

“Congratulations to all of the students who participated in this year’s New Jersey Poetry Out Loud program. It was another inspiring year of remarkable talent and dedication,” said Allison Tratner, directora ejecutiva del Consejo Estatal de las Artes de Nueva Jersey. “And thank you to the educators, administrators, family members, and friends who supported the students and the program from start to finish. The collective belief in the power of these students and their voices is why this program is able to succeed. We are excited for State Champion Hadassah to represent New Jersey on the national stage in Washington D.C.!”

Congratulations to all who participated, including the regional finalists:

• Mame Traore from Lincoln High School in Jersey City
• Kelechi Oriaku from Passaic County Technical Institute STEM Academy in Wayne
• Evelynn Knox  from Henry Hudson Regional High School in Highlands
• Meera Iyer from Morristown Beard School in Morristown
• michael giuliani de la escuela secundaria Vineland en Vineland
• Emilio Galvan from Burlington City High School in Burlington City
• Jake Fredericks from Red Bank Regional High School in Red Bank
• McKenzie Finn from Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City
• Bianca Diez from Morris County School of Technology in Denville
• Ethan Buchanan from Union County Vocational-Technical School Academy for the Performing Arts in Scotch Plains
• Hadassah Broughton from Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton
• Torajah Broadway from Newark Vocational High School in Newark

Para obtener más información sobre New Jersey Poetry Out Loud y las finales nacionales, visite www.njpol.org. Se publicará un vídeo de las finales estatales de Poesía en voz alta de Nueva Jersey en Página de YouTube de NJPOL en las proximas semanas.

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ACERCA DEL CENTRO DE LAS ARTES COUNT BASIE

The Count Basie Center for the Arts is New Jersey’s premier center for the cultural arts, dedicated to fostering powerful, inclusive artistic experiences and creative exchange of ideas. The Basie mission is to inspire, educate and entertain through its distinct and engaging cultural and artistic offerings that embrace and amplify the diversity of the region. As a nonprofit organization, the Basie is committed to enriching the community’s quality of life by generating opportunities for participation in the arts, partnering with schools, collaborating with other mission-based organizations and driving regional economic prosperity.

ACERCA DEL CONSEJO ESTATAL DE LAS ARTES DE NUEVA JERSEY

El Consejo Estatal de las Artes de Nueva Jersey, creado en 1966, es una división del Departamento de Estado de Nueva Jersey y una agencia asociada del Fondo Nacional de las Artes. El Consejo se estableció para alentar y fomentar el interés público en las artes; ampliar los recursos públicos y privados dedicados a las artes; promover la libertad de expresión en las artes; y facilitar la inclusión del arte en todos los edificios públicos de Nueva Jersey. El Consejo cree que las artes son fundamentales para todos los elementos que más valoramos en una sociedad moderna, incluidos: la comprensión humana; orgullo cultural y cívico; comunidades fuertes; excelentes escuelas; el aprendizaje permanente; expresión creativa; y oportunidad económica. Para obtener más información sobre el Consejo, visite www.artscouncil.nj.gov.

ACERCA DE LA POESÍA EN VOZ ALTA DE NUEVA JERSEY

New Jersey Poetry Out Loud es un proyecto de la Consejo Estatal de las Artes de Nueva Jersey y el Count Basie Center for the Arts. Poesía en voz alta es un programa nacional de educación artística, liderado por el Fondo Nacional de las Artes y el Fundación de Poesía, in partnership with the state and jurisdictional arts agencies across the country. In New Jersey, the State Arts Council and the Basie work with a growing network of socios regionales para implementar el programa en todo el estado.