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TRENTON
- For the sixth consecutive year, the Juvenile
Justice Commission (JJC) will participate
in the acclaimed Philadelphia International
Flower Show. Entries will be submitted in
the competitive categories of Window Box and
Hanging Basket. Individual plant specimens
will also be entered. The students’
displays will be judged by some of the nation’s
most distinguished horticulturalists. In 2011,
the JJC was honored to take home second place
for its entry in the Window Box and Lamppost
categories, losing first place by just one
point. Individual plant specimens also won
several awards. The Philadelphia Flower Show
begins Sunday, March 4 at the Philadelphia
Convention Center and runs through March 11.
This year’s theme is “Hawaii:
Islands of Aloha.”
“The
chance to participate in the Philadelphia
International Flower Show is an incredible
opportunity for our residents,” said
Dr. Gloria R. Hancock, Acting Executive
Director, JJC. “With the help of their
teachers, our students can apply the skills
they learn in the classroom to create flower
arrangements that can compete with some
of the best in world. This experience allows
them to put their knowledge and creative
talents to work, while providing them with
life skills.”
Under
the supervision of horticulture instructors,
residents from two of the JJC’s residential
community homes spent hours in the classroom
conducting research on plants and weeks
nurturing their specimens in preparation
for this juried event. Students will have
the opportunity to visit the convention
center to maintain their entries during
the week of the show.
The
JJC is the state agency responsible for
leading the reform of the State’s
juvenile justice system. Established in
1995, it serves to coordinate programs and
policies affecting delinquent youth throughout
the State, and offers juvenile rehabilitation
and parole services. In addition to the
core educational curriculum, the JJC provides
extensive career and technical education
to students, including horticultural instruction.
The JJC operates several greenhouses that
produce thousands of plants each year. The
plants are used in community service projects
and are made available for sale to the public.
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