"Please Judge Me" Film Shoot (Part 1)

On November 6th, filming began with our NJ Youth Corps students who are working on short project titled "Please Judge Me". The short film will deal with stereotypes and the way they negatively effect people. In this case, a high school student is profiled by a substitute teacher who wrongly makes assumptions about the student based on the way she is dressed. NJIT's Capstone team was on hand to assist in directing and shooting the project, which should be fully completed by the end of the month. The Capstone team was instrumental in writing the script and developing some very intriguing characters.

Jeffery (played by Jacob) is dressed in clothes that are well fitted. He is a well-spoken individual that doesn't take any sides and keeps a good distance from all the other students. He is not smart but he sucks up to the teachers.

Will (played by Ashraf) is dressed in an expensive polo and wears dark shades at all times. He is full of himself, he is loud and isn't afraid to speak his mind. He has a very controlling attitude in which everything has to go his way.

Erika (played by Valerie) is dressed in very baggy clothing. She has a black snapback hat on worn backwards with a bandanna. She is somewhat quiet and does not have many friends. She is extremely intelligent and is often prejudged or misunderstood.      

There will be behind the scenes and blooper footage as well. This project will also be accompanied with a lesson plan and discussion session speaking about the ills of discrimination and the need for more tolerance to individuals differences and preferences. It is also designed as  additional training to teach our students how to become better presenters and performers at the Jersey Explorer Children's Museum, which is the Jersey City, NJ Youth Corps work-site. In addition, our students will learn about shooting, editing and producing short video projects. Below are a few shots from the shoot.

East Orange, NJ Great Pumpkin Carving and Haunted House (Part 1)

Saturday October 25th, the Jersey Explorer Children's Museum hosted a wonderful community event -  The Great Pumpkin Carving and Haunted House spectacular! The brand new staff and students of NJ Youth Corps did an amazing job working countless hours in support of this function. Councilwoman Andrea McPhatter in collaboration with the Powerzone Foundation, First Friday Youth Commission and other valuable supporters brought together families in Essex County for a theme of spooky celebration and fun!

NJ Youth Corps were dressed for the occasion with scary costumes and eye popping makeup to match! Over a hundred guests attended the festivities and had a glorious time. There were guided tours through our popular exhibits such as the Ancient Tomb and Jukebox, all specially decorated with a Halloween twist.  Special thanks to all of our volunteers and attendees! Our pumpkin carvers were extremely creative with their designs. Check out some cool pictures below. 

NJ Youth Corps Service in the Community (Part 1)

On Wednesday October 9th, NJ Youth Corps worked locally in the Jersey City community servicing a resourceful food pantry as well as the historical Loews Theater.

"Lets Celebrate" is a non profit agency that works to help people in need with donated groceries and other social services such as financial education and affordable housing. NJ Youth Corps worked as a team to help stock their pantries and prepare bags of food for the clients stopping in. It was a very humbling experience for our students, especially the few that lived right up the street and recognized some of the people in need. Unfortunately, issues such as hunger effect many individuals and families regardless of race, gender and even career status. Even some of those that have jobs, struggle with low wages or lack of full time employment and find it difficult to afford three square meals a day. NJ Youth Corps engaged with some of these individuals and families by serving up hot lunch meals for them.

At the Loews Theater, the staff assisted in organizing and cleaning efforts. They swept, mopped and moved various items to different locations in the theater. The management was very appreciative of Youth Corps efforts. These community service projects will continue throughout the finish of 2014 leading into 2015.

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 and Jersey Explorer Children's Museum @ 24 Hours Of Peace in Newark, NJ

24HrsofPeace is our outdoor cultural event aimed at addressing violence through the performing arts. Music, Poetry, Dance, Film and Spoken Word are the vehicles we will use to promote the message of peace and unity in the community. Please join us August 29th 6pm on Clinton Avenue in Newark between Treacy Avenue and Bergen Street. -  https://24hrsofpeace.wordpress.com/

NJ Youth Corps along with the Jersey Explorer Children's Museum were eager to give a helping hand to such a monumental event that directly involves the talents of young people making a positive difference. 

Radio Host, Hip Hop Artist and Activist Hakeem Green showed his support by visiting the JECM before '24 Hours Of Peace' took place. He was in awe of our museum and staff as well as our informative, thought provoking exhibits. 

Hakeem is one of the key organizers for the 24HoursofPeace event, which is presented by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Thanks to our connections and supporters we were able to donate over a thousand books over the weekend for a unified effort on decreasing violence in Newark and increasing support for the talented citizens who are spreading awareness and promoting peace and love.