October 12, 2012
Newark, NJ
“The Festival gave me a new outlook on poetry. Poetry is an outlet for escape and it gives the world meaning.” -Yasmine, 12th Grade
“The highlight for me was being able to listen to and understand poems, because they were more current than poems I’ve read in the past. They were more relevant to me.” -Mason, 11th Grade
“The Festival gave me a new outlook on poetry. Poetry is an outlet for escape and it gives the world meaning.” -Yasmine, 12th Grade
“The highlight for me was being able to listen to and understand poems, because they were more current than poems I’ve read in the past. They were more relevant to me.” -Mason, 11th Grade
The Dodge Festival is the largest poetry event in North America, and the only one of such scale that offers a day of free admission to high school student groups. To date, 134 Schools from 10 states including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and New Hampshire have begun the process of registering for High School Student Day, October 12, 2012. We expect to register over 4,500 students to engage with dozens of our most distinguished poets, including U.S. Poets Laureate, Pulitzer Prize winners and NEA, Guggenheim and MacArthur fellows.
More than any other form of study, poetry immersion develops our capacity for metaphorical thinking. This capacity, to simultaneously hold two disparate ideas in our minds, is not only a marker for high intelligence, but absolutely essential for developing the quality of creative thinking demanded of our graduates in the 21st century.
As we approach National Poetry Month, we are making a push to register high schools for the Festival. If you are a high school teacher or know a high school teacher who would like to bring students to the Festival, please be sure to pass this along to them.
FAQ’s about High School Student Day:
Who is eligible for free admittance?
Any high school is eligible to register for High School Student Day.
Where will it take place?
The Festival Village is contained in the immediate area surrounding NJPAC, in Newark’s Downtown Arts District. Performance spaces and dining options are within a safe and walkable footprint.
How do schools register?
Schools must identify a Festival School Coordinator to take the lead, and to be the primary liaison between the Dodge Poetry Program and the school.
How many students can I bring?
Schools are allocated a certain number of attendees, based on the overall student population.
What is the schedule for High School Student Day?
The program begins at 9:30 and ends at 4:00. The Dodge Poetry Program will provide you with an individualized schedule of the day.
What is the registration deadline?
For priority handling of your registration and the most effective planning, we recommend you register by April 30, 2012. Once your Festival School Coordinator is registered, the Dodge Poetry Program staff will follow up to gather additional information from you. Before the end of the school year, you will know how many students you can bring, and will have a plan in place for your trip to the Festival.
To read more about High School Student Day, and to become a Festival School Coordinator, click here.