June 18 , 2007
Love New Jersey and Want to Show It? The Official 2007 Celebrate NJ! Poster is a sure way to engage everyone who sees it in a conversation about the magnificence of our Garden State. They are now available for purchase (the small fee helps defray mailing and supports our programs too!). Print off the order form, complete and mail, and we'll send you your very own Celebrate NJ! poster. Order for your group, your family and friends, your students. We have a limited number so first come, first served.
June 11 , 2007
NJ Takes the Cake! Students have their New Jersey cake and eat it, too! Look here...
If it's June, it must be time for baseball around the Garden State! See students celebrating...
June 1 , 2007
This is the third year where June has officially been proclaimed Celebrate New Jersey! month. Governor Corzine has made an official proclamation, thousands are attending celebratory events and the Reasons to Celebrate NJ! campaign rolls on.
To view the Celebrate NJ! school program events list...
To view the Governor's Proclamation...
To view the June Reasons to Celebrate NJ! or enter your reason...
May 23, 2007
Thousands of proud family members packed Mall Center Courts throughout New Jersey to Celebrate students from 16 counties. Six events in three weeks, over 300 students were honored. Congratulations to all students whose work was selected in the 2007 Celebrate NJ! 4th Grade School Program.
May 15, 2007
Congratulations to the winners of the 2007 Poster Contest! The winning designs will be on display at the Governor's Gala June 8th at NJPAC. Look for them in the special Celebrate NJ! insert this Sunday, May 20th in the Courier News and other select Gannett Newspapers. Printed posters will be distributed beginning next month.
First Place: Michele Guerriero of Surf City
Second Place: Jamie Kwan of Edison
Third Place: Michelle E. Chang of Edison
Honorable mentions:
Laura Grunwerg, Hillsdale
Kristine Boise, Berkeley Heights
Mike Quon, Fair Haven
Christina Li, East Brunswick
Whitney Xu, Metuchen
Trevor Matthews, New Milford
Michelle Zhou, Monmouth Junction
Kevin Ge, Edison
Jennifer Guo, Lake Hopatcong
May 14, 2007
It's official-- Governor Jon S. Corzine has proclaimed June 2007 as Celebrate New Jersey Month "in recognition of our state as the gateway to America, rich in history and opportunity, embracing the past, meeting the challenges of the present and building the promise of the future". See the entire 2007 Governor's Proclamation.(PDF)
May 10, 2007
Coming soon to our home page, the top three winning designs of the Reasons to Celebrate NJ! Poster Contest. The top 12 designs were chosen from over 300 entries and will be available for viewing in the coming days. Thanks to each of our entrants, ages 66 to 6, who demonstrated the wealth of New Jersey’s artistic talent. Check back soon!
May 4, 2007
You can now hear "The Voice of the 4th Grade"! Over 300 New Jersey students whose work was selected from over 9,000 registered in our Celebrate NJ! School Program will tell you what's great about New Jersey in their very own online newspaper. Click here and enjoy!
April 1, 2007
March 20, 2007
February 6, 2007
New Jersey Artists-- Celebrate NJ! want to showcase your talent! All artists are invited to submit their best ideas for the official 2007 Celebrate NJ! Poster before March 31, 2007. Cash prizes and state-wide recognition await the top 3 winners. For details, click here.
February 1, 2007
The Top 28 Reasons to Celebrate NJ! for February 2007 have now been released. Congratulations and thank you to those NJ residents who took the time to tell us why they love NJ. If you haven't yet entered your reason, there is still time to get in on the fun and have it be eligible for selection in the coming months. To enter your reason or to see the reason of the day, click here. To see all 28 Reasons for February, click here. To view the press release, click here.
January 12, 2007
Governor Corzine has penned his 25 words and joined the "365 Reasons to Celebrate NJ!" campaign this week. "New Jersey is the gateway to America, rich in history and opportunity..." View the press release to read the entire reason.
Karen Hatcher, President of Celebrate NJ!, answers the question "Why Celebrate NJ?" in a op-ed piece written today. View the Op-Ed Piece.
December 29, 2006
From the over 800 reasons we have already received, we are excited to announce the first 31 Reasons to Celebrate NJ! for January 2007. Congratulations and thank you to those NJ residents who took the time to tell us why they love NJ. If you haven't yet entered your reason, there is still time to get in on the fun and have it be eligible for selection in the coming months. To enter your reason or to see the reason of the day, click here. To see all 31 Reasons for January, click here. To view the press release, click here.
December 12, 2006
The New Jersey Cable Telecommunications Association has partnered with Celebrate NJ! in a move that will provide a major boost to our 365 Reasons to Celebrate NJ! campaign. The partnership will provide Celebrate NJ with cross-channel advertising on cable stations across New Jersey throughout 2007.
Adam Falk, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the NJCTA says, "New Jersey's cable companies are excited to be a part of Celebrate NJ. As technology leaders, we're looking forward to highlighting all of the ways in which New Jersey is on the cutting edge. As one of the state's economic engines, we're pleased to share all the reasons we think New Jersey is a great place to do business. Celebrate NJ is a great project and a great way to shine a positive light on the Garden State."
To view entire press release, click here.
December 12, 2006
The registration period for the 2006-2007 School Program has been extended until December 31, 2006. Over 6,000 students have been registered in the program to date, but we'd like to make the program available to as many students as possible this year. Teachers may register their students by clicking here.
November 2, 2006
Karen Hatcher, President of Celebrate NJ! will be a guest discussing the School Program and 365 Reasons to Celebrate NJ! campaign on the "12 in Our Schools" program on News 12 New Jersey this weekend. The show airs at 7AM, 12Noon and 4:30PM and 3:30AM, both days. www.news12.com
October 20, 2006
Attention all New Jersey lovers! From October 17th until November 30th New Jersey's men, women and children have an opportunity to enter the 365 Reasons to Celebrate NJ! contest. The best 365 Reasons will be selected by the end of 2006 and will then be part of a media and outdoor ad campaign next year. See your name, your city and your Reason on a billboard! Hear your Reason on the radio! See it on posters and in the papers! Enter your Reason by clicking on the icon above today!
September 29, 2006
The School Program for fourth graders gets an early start this year, giving teachers and their students plenty of time to integrate the WebQuest program into their classroom activities. A printable Program Overview is available now. To register after October 5th, go the the School Program, Teachers page.
August 22, 2006
SAVE THE DATE!- OCTOBER 22, 2006 Noon - 6PM
We're excited to have been invited by Secretary Wells to co-sponsor this event where we'll have a chance to Celebrate NJ's beautiful cultural diversity. The event is planned rain or shine at South Riverwalk Park, a spectacular gem of a location next to the Waterfront Ballpark on Route 29 in Trenton. Cultural exhibits from a host of NJ's ethnically diverse communities, entertainment and great food are all planned. For more information, call 609-777-0573 or inquire at feedback@sos.state.nj.us.
Download Vendor Application form for Cultural Festival here.
Statewide Cultural Festival
Sunday, October 22, 2006
South Riverwalk Park
River View Plaza, Trenton, NJ
(Next to Waterfront Park- Rt. 29 South)
Noon to 6PM
Great Food!
Cultural Exhibits and Speakers!
Exciting Performances!
Vendor Booths Now Available
For Information Phone: 609-777-0573
Email: feedback@sos.state.nj.us
July 24, 2006
Celebrate! Commemorate! Honor! Commend! Venerate! New Jersey!!!
Thanks to the thousands of NJ Citizens and hundreds of groups who actively participated in this year's campaign. View our 2006 Campaign Report here.
Do you have ideas to share for next year? Now is the time to contact us and be part of the planning process.
June 12, 2006
Governor Jon S. Corzine and Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells hosted a special reception to recognize Celebrate NJ! and 300 of its friends and supporters at Drumthwacket, Monday, June 12, 2006. The program focused on youth and diversity and entertainment was provided by the NJ Youth Symphony, the Somerset Vo-Tech Musical Theatre Group, and NJN 2006 Hispanic Showcase Winner Nicole Ortez. Presentations were made by two fourth grade students from the Celebrate NJ! School Program: Matthew Fennelly of Alexandria Middle School and Ria Rastogi of Chittick School in East Brunswick. It was a wonderful night. See pictures here. And see More pictures here.
June 8, 2006
As we wrap up the very first Celebrate NJ! School Program, we're asking NJ's fourth grade teachers to help us improve the program by completing a brief evaluation form. Download here and submit by June 30th. Thank you and have a wonderful summer!
June 2, 2006
You may now read all of the articles written by New Jersey's fourth grade "reporters" on the Student Authors page. There's also a great Scrapbook of photos from the School Program for you to enjoy!
Open and Enjoy The "NEW JERSEY SCOOP-- The Voice of the 4th Grade"
As the Celebrate New Jersey schools program concludes, dozens of students receive awards and look forward to publication of their work in local papers. The program has sparked new pride in the state among the students who participated. Teachers express enthusiasm over the pleasure kids found in doing research for the program. As a reward for participation, all the students get to be special guests at minor league ball games in their area. Details and photos in the press releases posted in the newsroom.
SEE LIST OF WINNING STUDENT AUTHORS HERE
The Gannett Newspapers published the Celebrate New Jersey supplement on May 20th. You may view the supplement as it was published in the Courier-News, blow up the photos, display the text in web format using a fully indexed interactive website by clicking the link below.
Click for Courier News Supplement On-Line
May 6, 2006
Check out the scrapbook to see some of the things visitors to the "Spirit of the Jerseys" State History Fair Saturday, May 6th were doing. Sponsored by the Division of Parks and Forestry, visitors discovered 101 things to do from meeting Walt Whitman and James Fennimore Cooper to fighting a house fire. To learn more, visit the NJ Parks website or check out the slide show on our What's Happening page.
May 11, 2006
If you loved last year's poster, we think you'll enjoy this one. It's colorful, its engaging and available for you to display. Click here to view the new poster. If you want to order one or a quantity of them for your business or organization, please send us an email with your address and quantity requested.
June 2006 is New Jersey's official Celebrate NJ! Month.
We'll be updating the What's Happening Page in the months to come to include information about what's happening in communities around the state. We'd love to know about events, festivals, and celebrations in your community! Tell us how your town shows its pride! Send a brief email with details and pictures (jpeg) to kmelito@celebratenj.org for consideration.
March 20, 2006
Show your Celebrate NJ! spirit with some great new T-shirt designs, featuring each of the six Jr. Editor characters from the School Program webquest. A special Celebrate NJ! Team shirt is also available. For adults, our colorful logo on white. Also, tote and messenger bags, coffee mugs and BBQ aprons... Check it out at www.cafepress.com/celebratenj/ All profits support the Celebrate NJ! initiative.
March 17, 2006
The General Assembly of the State of New Jersey marks June 2006 as Celebrate New Jersey month in the Garden State. View the proclamation...
March 15, 2006
Thank you to all of the dedicated NJ Teachers who registered your students in the 2006 Celebrate NJ! School Program. We appreciate your confidence and enthusiasm. Weekly Teacher Program Updates are listed on the Teacher page of the School Program. For further information, please email us at kmelito@CelebrateNJ.org. To view a list of schools participating this year, click here.
Because of the overwhelming first year response, we are seeking additional corporate and individual sponsors to support the community events planned for students. If you're interested, please check out the Sponsorship page for more information or contact us at 908-730-6133. Thank you!!
March 6, 2006
We hear you! Several areas of the state reported not receiving our initial promotional mailing, so we are extending the School Program registration date until March 10th for those Teachers still interested in registering their students into the program. Click here to register.
March 2, 2006
All teachers who have registered their students in the Celebrate NJ! School Program can now download an important Program Update here. This and future messages will also be found on the Teachers page of the School Program section. Thank you!
The results are in. Registration closed with 7, 132 students participating from all parts of our great state. Kudos to Monmouth and Ocean counties who came in with 2,400 students! What a great first year!! Now the students will be busy researching and writing their articles. Parents can support their efforts by checking out the Parents page under the School Program.
Registration as of this morning is as follows:
Region 1: Bergen and Passaic Counties 995 Students
Region 2: Essex, Hudson and Union Counties 970 Students
Region 3: Somerset, Hunterdon and Middlesex Counties 974 Students
Region 4: Mercer and Burllington (North) Counties 268 Students
Region 5: Monmouth and Ocean Counties 2,400 Students
Region 6: Camden, Gloucester, Salem and Burlington (South) Counties 748 Students
Region 7: Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland Counties 322 Students
Region 8: Sussex, Morris and Warren Counties 455 Students
February 24, 2006
School districts and teachers not wanting to miss out on the Celebrate NJ! School program are enrolling in record numbers during the last few days of February. Two entire school districts have signed on in the last 24 hours! Register your class here, school or district here. Don't miss the February 28th deadline.
February 21, 2006
In just the first three weeks of the program, NJ fourth grade teachers from every county of the state have enthusiastically enrolled their students in the Celebrate NJ! webquest. Want to see which schools in your area are participating?
Want to tell local teachers about the program? Download the School Program Flyer... click here for the PDF file.
February 1, 2006
Designed for fourth grade students, their teachers and parents, the Celebrate NJ! School Program brings a new approach, fun and excitement to the study of New Jersey. It features an interactive WebQuest online challenge where students will help to create the first "NJ Newspaper for Kids" while learning about New Jersey's famous people, places, history and current events! Students will have the opportunity to see their articles published in special inserts being planned by local newspapers. And we're also planning "Celebrate NJ! Nights at the Ballpark" throughout the state for all students who participate in the program.
[Click here to learn more]
Submit your scrapbook items to info@CelebrateNJ.org
The New Jersey Historical Commission will honor Chandler for "outstanding contributions to preserving and presenting New Jersey history" in recognition of her work with historical groups including the Celebrate New Jersey initiative. Formal presentation of the award will be at the commission's 21st annual conference featuring a program celebrating the 85th anniversary of the women's suffrage ammendment.
[click here for details]
Gov. Codey is calling for suggestions on a new slogan after aborting the launch of one created by Madison Avenue. Read the details here -- it's an opportunity to promote a positive image for our state.
[click here]
Read a brief summary of the results achieved in the June 2005 Celebrate New Jersey campaign.
We did dozens of interviews and got some surprises along with the expected responses. Most thought the effort to be long overdue and much needed.
[click here]
On June 30th our first annual Celebrate New Jersey Month ended. The staff and volunteers are taking a breather and beginning to make lists of things to do for the 2006 celebration. In the weeks and months to come we'll be making plans and inviting individuals and groups to participate again.
If you visit AboutNewJersey.com and VisitNJ.org you will discover that there are a dazzling number of great things to see and do in New Jersey every week the whole year around, many within a few minutes of home. Get out and enj
