2022-2023 Winner of NEIU Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition Announced

Kendal Pauline, a senior at Hazleton Area Arts and Humanities Academy is the 2022-2023 NEIU Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition Winner and has been named First Runner Up in the 2023 Pennsylvania Poetry Out Loud (POL) State Championship.

“AieNEPA and The Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit is so very pleased to have a strong partnership with WVIA,” said Catherine Richmond-Cullen, Ed.D., Director of AieNEPA. “The Pa Council on the Arts has promoted the National Endowment on the Arts project, Poetry Out Loud, for more than 10 years. Our partner region is the only one in the Commonwealth working with our regional PBS affiliate. The opportunity for young creatives to recite works of poetry on television and radio is amazing. Our gratitude to WVIA cannot be overstated.”

“We are proud to take part in the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts statewide Poetry Out Loud program,” said Liz Faist, aieNEPA Assistant Director. “We are grateful to our schools, teachers and students for their participation and dedication. What a fantastic opportunity to be able to share the students’ recitations with the community on such a professional platform. We are truly grateful to WVIA and our POL (Poetry Out Loud) sponsors that make this event possible.”

“WVIA Education is thrilled to take part in Poetry Out Loud, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation, which has given millions of talented high school students like Kendal a space to share their unique voices for more than fifteen years,” said Vicki Austin, Senior Director of Grants and Education. “We appreciate the loyal support of the Overlook Estate Foundation, Inc. and our partners, NEIU 19 and Arts in Education of Northeast PA, without whom this could not happen.”

The 2023 Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition premiered on WVIA-TV Thursday, April 6 and is available to watch anytime, on-demand at wvia.org as well as on the PBS and WVIA Apps.

To learn more about Poetry Out Loud, please visit https://www.poetryoutloud.org.

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