(RED BANK – FEBRUARY 14, 2019) Poetry Out Loud, the national recitation contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, crowned its New Jersey – Region 3 winners at the Basie Center on Tuesday, February 5.

Nathan Magno of Toms River, a student at Ocean County Vocational Technical School Performing Arts Academy, and Lily Pena of Red Bank Regional High School were named Region 3 champions and will move on to New Jersey’s statewide Poetry Out Loud competition on March 12 at Ocean County College.

“This year’s competition in Region 3 was truly exceptional,” said State Arts Council Program Officer Porché Hardy. “The excellence exhibited through this program is a testament to the power of arts education. The Council is proud to support the creative expression of New Jersey students through the Poetry Out Loud program. Congratulations to all of the students, their dedicated teachers, and the team at Count Basie Center for the Arts.”

Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students across the country to learn about great works of classic and contemporary poetry through memorization and recitation. Not only do they share their interpretation and delivery of poetry; they also vie for awards and scholarships totaling $50,000.

In New Jersey, Poetry Out Loud is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, in collaboration with Writers Theatre of New Jersey, ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and a growing list of local partners. 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, POL 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.