New Jersey Poetry Ourselves is a program inspired by Poetry Out Loud’s National Poetry Ourselves program. In this first year, 12 of the 2024 State and Regional Finalists participated with the option to submit a written poem or a spoken-word poem. Over a 4-week process, students crafted their pieces with mentor Mannikka Rosa and sent their finalized versions in for judging. Over the course of 4 days, 5 judges intentionally reviewed and scored each of the twelve submissions on Structure, Voice and Style, Use of Poetic Elements, Poetic Diction, Creativity and Uniqueness. Each participant was invited to perform their submissions.

Students performed their poems on the stage on May 19, 2024. We’re proud of the participants for their courage to share their voice with the world.

Poetry Ourselves is a program of New Jersey Poetry Out Loud. 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, led by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, 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 regional partners to implement the program statewide.