NJ Youth Corps & New Jersey Institute of Technology "Please Judge Me" Screening

On December 4th 2014, NJ Youth Corps Crew Leader, Doug Bailey attended the Capstone Showcase at NJIT in Newark, NJ. NJ Youth Corps formed a partnership with the Capstone Program which allowed them to work with emerging NJIT graduates on a number of versatile projects. The Capstone students Sam, Alyssa and Ramesh created a short film project titled "Please Judge Me", which focused on stereotypes and how misjudging people can create barriers that inhibit us all in progressing forward. The film itself focused on a teacher who incorrectly labeled a student based on her style of clothing and not her intelligence. He learned a valuable lesson in the end!

The short film was displayed on a 50 inch flatscreen for students and judges alike to view. The Capstone students created a document to show the different stages of pre planning and development that was worked on to complete the project in full. It was certainly an engrossing experience for our Youth Corps students, as they were engaged from the acting, all the way to learning about the post editing procedures. We look forward to our continued alliance with NJIT and the Capstone  Program.

NJ Youth Corps visit Newark Museum (Part 1)

On October 3rd, NJ Youth Corps visited the Newark Museum for research, developmental purposes and knowledge building for our students. After a light lunch in the area, we arrived at the museum in the afternoon and began our self guided tour. A definite highlight was the Ballantine House mansion, which was originally built in 1885. The luxurious home was built for the wealthy Ballatine family, who were owners and creators of Ballantine Ale/Beer. It is located in an upper wing at the museum.

We were also just in time with the debut of Newark Museum's latest exhibit "Great Balls Of Fire". (Comets, Asteroids and Meteors) It was created by the Space Science Institute with additional funding by NASA and the National Science Foundation. Our students were very hands on with the new projects that were available in this particular exhibit.

 

The trip gave our students who are also staff of the Jersey Explorer Children's Museum, an opportunity to see how other facilities that provide similar resources are ran. In addition, they were exposed to ancient Korean collectibles (Land Of The Diamond Mountains), GenFit - an exhibit that focused on interactive exercise plus healthy eating, and finally Chinese artifacts and religious culture. We all had a informative time that was every bit of thought provoking as it was fun. 

NJ Youth Corps visit Washington DC (Part 1)

The NJ Youth Corps went on a mission to check in with the National Park Service in regards to the Jersey Explorer Children's Museum's extensive Vietnam Memorial Collection. We traveled by van to our nation's capitol on September 11th. It was a solemn day, marking the 13th year of the 9-11 tragedy which shook our nation to its core. What a day to be reminded of the liberties we have as citizens of this great country and explore some of the most famous landmarks in the world.

In addition to receiving an exclusive tour of the National Park Service warehouse and facilities, Youth Corps students were also exposed to the White House, Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial and other historic landmarks in DC. The trip was a first for our students and they were very attentive and enthusiastic about our journey. 

We left from Jersey City at about 7:00 am and returned back home shorty after 10:00 pm. It was an unforgettable trip for our students, who we will hear from directly via video in a part 2 update to this post. 

NJ Youth Corps visit Watchung Reservation and Barnes & Noble

Friday, August 22nd, marked the date of an interesting road trip that started at the historic Watchung Reservation in New Jersey and ended at a Route 22 Barnes & Noble book store. It was a journey that took our city-wise students and staff into a wilderness exploration into nature where we saw vintage artifacts and luxuriant plants. We also did some serious climbing and hiking. We had a glorious time and are looking forward to a return trip soon. Here are some Youth Corps student/staff reactions to our day.

Adam: My trip was extremely fun, I enjoyed every minute of it. I would definitely go back again. I learned nature has extraordinary things about it.

Irene: My favorite part about the trip was everything! I learned a lot about the outdoors. I would go again, I enjoyed myself. 

Stephanie: It was fun! I liked going through the "Ghost Town", and I liked the rock climbing. I liked the teamwork and how we all came together and worked together.

ABOUT WATCHUNG RESERVATION:

Watchung Reservation in Union County is a 2,000-acre wooded tract where animal and plant life are protected.  Highlights of the park include Surprise Lake, the Deserted Village of Feltvile/Glenside Park, the Trailside Nature and Science Center, Seeley's Pond and the Watchung Stables.  Opened in 1941, The Trailside Museum was New Jersey's first nature museum. Although I-78 traverses its northwestern flank, most of the reservation remains in a natural, wild state, and sound barriers muffle the road noise.

  

ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE:

Barnes & Noble, Inc. is a Fortune 500 company, the largest retail bookseller in the United States, and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products in the country. The company operates 661 retail stores (as of May 3, 2014) in all 50 U.S. States in addition to 700 college bookstores that serve more than 5 million students and faculty members across the country. Barnes & Noble also operates BN.com

107.5 WBLS-FM NJ Youth Corps Promo

We here at NJ Youth Corps would like to thank Ms. Ann Tripp, News Director at 107.5 WBLS-FM & 1190 WLIB-AM, for interviewing Crew Leader Doug Bailey, in regards to information on the NJ Youth Corps Program and current enrollment opportunities for young people.

This promo ran numerous times during the popular top-rated "Steve Harvey Morning Show" which is on air from 6:00AM until 10:00AM Monday through Friday via terrestrial radio as well as the internet live stream on WBLS.com

We appreciate Emmis Communications and their commitment to spotlighting community efforts right here in Jersey City and look forward to future initiatives and collaborations. Check out the audio below.

First Lady Mary Pat Christie recognizes Abby Daly, Founder & Executive Director of Bridge of Books, as a New Jersey Hero live @ The Jersey Explorer Children's Museum

The Jersey Explorer Children's Museum in conjunction with NJ Youth Corps were honored to host NJ First Lady Mary Pat Christie in her recognition of Bridge of Books founder and executive director Abby Daly as an official recipient of the "NJ Heroes" award. Mary Pat Christie, wife of NJ Governor Chris Christie, started the NJ Heroes Program to "recognize, celebrate, and promote the Heroes of New Jersey who inspire fellow New Jerseyans to give back to their community."

Here is the First Lady's official statement on the wonderful acknowledgment of Abby Daly:

Today I took a trip to the Jersey Explorer Children’s Museum in East Orange to honor Abby Daly as my 4th NJ Hero of 2014.  Abby’s non-profit foundation, Bridge of Books, provides an ongoing source of books to underprivileged and at-risk children throughout New Jersey in order to support literacy skills and to encourage a love of reading.  The organization’s name comes from the belief that a book, like a bridge, can take a child to new places.  Abby, who has always been involved in community service, saw an overwhelming need for books in many areas of our state.  As something many of us take for granted, she wanted to find a way to be able to provide for those children who may not even own a single book.  Through donations and book drives, Bridge of Books has been able to facilitate the distribution of over 425,000 books since its launch in 2003.  Bridge of Books also partners with the New Jersey Youth Corps, who helps with the distribution of the books.  Today, the Youth Corps set up a “Summer Book Blast Book Fair” for the children of East Orange inside the museum, as well as a tour where they were able to explore the different interactive exhibits.  The children were ecstatic to have such a great day planned for them!  Bridge of Books brought over 2,400 books for these children to choose from, take home, and call their own.  The looks on the children’s faces as they were holding onto their brand new books was priceless.  It was great to be at the Children’s Museum today and meet so many inspiring people involved with the Bridge of Books Foundation.  Abby presented me with a beautiful frame that read “Books have the Power to Change Lives” – a philosophy that I find to be so important and true.  Abby truly demonstrates what it means to be a New Jersey Hero. 

SOURCE: http://newjerseyheroes.org/index/2014/07/abby-daly-the-bridge-of-books-foundation/

The Jersey Explorer Children's Museum was elated to have Mary Pat Christie in our presence and we are so proud of Abby Daly and her continued commitment to literacy. Every guest that visits the JECM, can take home free books due to our longtime partnership with the Bridge of Books Foundation. We truly appreciate them as do the families and students who frequent our museum. 

FOR MORE INFO ON ABBY DALY AND THE BRIDGE OF BOOKS FOUNDATION PLEASE VISIT: http://www.bridgeofbooksfoundation.org/

Jersey City Youth Corps Program live on Quest Community Vibrations Radio @ Seton Hall University.

The Jersey City Youth Corps were recently invited to speak on a live radio program which took place at Seton Hall University on 89.5 WSOU FM, home of Quest Community Vibrations Radio. This half hour Saturday radio show is spearheaded by Mr. Richard Bey and young emerging correspondents and talent. Ryan, one of our student's from the Youth Corps program and current staff member at the Jersey Explorer Children's Museum, spoke about his experiences studying and working thus far on air. We also asked Ryan after the show, how he felt about representing for Youth Corps over the airwaves. 

 "Being on the radio show was very exciting for me, it was one of the few things that I haven't had the chance to do. I talked about Youth Corps, working at the museum (JECM), just getting out there telling people what we do was a lot of fun. It was a very good experience meeting everybody that we got a chance to meet. I would love to do it again, if the time comes." - Ryan 

Click below for the full radio interview which also features NJ Youth Corps Co-Director Gary Patnosh and Crew Leader Doug Bailey.

Check out and please support Quest Community Vibrations Radio @ their website http://questyouthradio.com/

 

Listen To Entertainment Internet Radio Stations with Quest Youth Radio on BlogTalkRadio

The New York Times Travel Show Field Trip

Saturday March 1st marked the Jersey City Youth Corps trip to the New York Times Travel Show. Students were challenged to learn about different countries across the globe for general knowledge as well as gathering information for our new "Wonders Of The World" exhibit. This project is currently in development at the Jersey City Youth Corps work-site, Jersey Explorer Children's Museum. After a quick lunch stop in NYC, the team arrived at Jacob Javits Center for an engrossing two hours of entertainment and education.

Quick pre-briefing with students/staff on what to expect inside the travel show.

 Students/staff pose for quick picture before they get inside.

 Students/staff pose with the Zambia Tourism Board. Zambia is located in the continent of Africa.

 Students/staff in front of Sea World exhibit.

Here are some of the student reactions regarding the travel show.

Jamal: "It's definitely something you should experience at least once in your lifetime.You learn a lot of things. A lot of culture."

Ryan: "You get to see a lot of different places that not a lot of TV shows or news stations talk about. You get to see the culture and how nice it is over there and whether you would like to go there or not. It opens your mind to a lot."

Steven: "I came in and it looked very interesting. The more I got into the exhibits, the more I learned about what was going on. You learn about all these places that people don't really know about. There are familiar countries, but they are also these small countries that are actually very interesting."

Chris: "It was pretty fun, we got to win some prizes - but you still get to learn."

Kennay: "I had fun, I liked touring the different places. Thailand, Japan - that was real cool and fun."

Stephanie: "I liked the different types of countries. There were many different cultures and environments. They cook differently and have different clothing and stuff. It was good just to get out of Jersey City."

Standout Saturday's at JECM

     

STANDOUT SATURDAY'S AT JECM #1

Jamal, Chris and Rey organize books for guest giveaways.

      Saturday February 22, 2014 was a great day at the Jersey Explorer Children’s Museum. In addition to having our walk-in guests and a wonderful visit from Guiding Star United Holy Church, the JECM hosted students from New Jersey Institute of Technology who will be working with the Youth Corps program on a variety of projects intent on enhancing the museum for current and future uses.

Making sure our Youth Corps students gain proper professional development experience is a major priority for our program. Staff is able to elevate their current positions by becoming Floor Manager for a day, which increases their responsibilities and allows them to flourish from a different perspective. They have to learn and develop leadership qualities, time management skills and a positive attitude to successfully complete a busy day.

Our Floor Manager of the week was Stephanie, and she had a cooperative cast of hard working Youth Corps students that did their part to ensure the day went smoothly without a hitch. Stephanie was responsible in putting staff in their positions, conversing and welcoming our guests, keeping the staff on track with the exhibit rotations and keeping watch on the different events taking place throughout the building. Saturdays are typically very busy with many different variables, and Stephanie maintained her composure and focus throughout her shift. She spoke with a confident tone at the end of the day about her experience:

“My experience in being floor manager is it's difficult at times but you just have to keep yourself composed. Make sure everyone has a good time. The hardest part of my job today was taking the walk-ins and having them sit down and organized. It sounds easy but that was the hardest part. The best part of my job today was seeing all the smiles on the kids faces when they left. My advice for future floor managers is to make sure you know what you are doing and have a very good schedule.”

Working with a very capable and intelligent team, Stephanie had the services of Jamal, Rey, Shakira, Kennay, Chris, Steven and Ryan who ran exhibits ranging from the Ancient Tomb treasure hunt, Jukebox and Science. Tequan, who was a standout in last semesters group of Youth Corps students, volunteered his services as well. 

Stephanie goes over schedule with Kennay.

Tequan takes guests on tour through Jukebox exhibit.

Shakira and Kennay double check their jobs for the day.

Steven, Jamal and Chris ready to conduct science experiment with guests .

Stephanie oversee's book organization for guests.

Rey and Tequan make sure they have all the details for incoming guests and their itinerary for the day.