Poetry Meets Percussion – Young Audiences helps schools recovering from Superstorm Sandy restore their spirits through an afterschool program called Sandy Relief Arts Education Program. Samsel Upper Elementary School students in Parlin meet once a week for 16 weeks to work with professional artists on percussions and poetry. The goal was to get children to talk about their experiences with the storm and the losses that they suffered. The program encourages and hones in on students’ original creativity, confidence and performance. The Young Audiences Arts for Learning is the nation’s largest arts in education learning network. That organization provides the artist, and an NJEA Pride grant pays for the materials for the percussions and other items.