Sea
Girt – Residents from various JJC Residential
Community Homes, Day Programs and State Incentive
Programs today participated in the 6th Annual
International Day celebration. Held at the
New Jersey National Guard Armory at the Sea
Girt Academy, participants were joined by
Veleria N. Lawson, Executive Director, Juvenile
Justice Commission; Brigadier General Jeffrey
Pierson (Ret.), Post Director, National Guard
Training Center; and Jim Curry, Education
Program Development Specialist, NJ Department
of Education.
International
Day is an annual educational opportunity that
provides students with an interactive learning
experience on diversity, culture and tolerance.
The theme for this year’s celebration,
“Visions of the World,” encourages
students to examine different cultures through
their own eyes.
“International
Day provides a unique learning opportunity
for JJC students,” said Veleria N. Lawson,
Executive Director, Juvenile Justice Commission.
“This hands-on approach to learning
helps our students truly understand and accept
the social differences and similarities that
exist between cultures. This is particularly
important in a state with such a diverse population
as New Jersey.”
In
the Dueling Displays competition, 22 JJC programs
selected a country and designed a display
depicting its important physical, political,
and cultural facts. Some displays included
cuisine that was prepared by the students
under the guidance of food service staff and
teachers. Countries represented at today’s
event included the Dominican Republic, Aruba,
Trinidad, Guinea-Bissau, Greece, Spain, Portugal,
Guyana, Romania, Mexico, Egypt, Canada, Columbia,
Barbados, Australia, Japan, Madagascar, Haiti,
Jamaica, Belize, Turkey, and Perú.
Residents at JJC secure facilities are not
permitted to leave these facilities. While
they were invited to participate and submit
displays, presentations describing their displays
were made by JJC education staff.
International
Day
Other
activities included unique sports games,
interactive cultural and world knowledge
games, cultural skits written and performed
by the students, an overview of Brazilian
Hip-Hop culture, and a tour of the National
Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey.
“I
would like to thank Brigadier General Jeffrey
Pierson (Ret.) and the National Guard for
hosting this educational opportunity for
our students,” continued Lawson. “With
the help and support of state and community
partners, we can better prepare these young
men and women to return to their communities
as law-abiding and productive citizens.”
For
more information on the JJC, please visit
www.njjjc.com.
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