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Sea Girt – Residents
from various JJC Residential Community Homes
and Day Programs today participated in the
7th 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. Also attending the event were
participants in the National Guard Youth
Camp.
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,
“Uniting our World through Technology,”
encourages students to examine different
cultures through technology.
“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.”
In the Dueling Displays
competition, 16 JJC programs selected a
country and designed displays depicting
each one’s 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: England, Cameroon, Ghana,
Germany, United States, Cuba, Singapore,
Switzerland, Philippines, Costa Rica, El
Salvadore, South Korea, New Zealand, Denmark,
Argentina, and Brazil.
Other activities included
sports games played in various counties,
interactive cultural and world knowledge
games, cultural skits written and performed
by the students, 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.”
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