D&R Greenway welcomes two recent graduates of Princeton University into one-year Fellowships in partnership with Princeton’s AlumniCorps Project 55 program. The program’s motto is to “Launch a life of civic leadership.” They are (from left) Ayame Whitfield and Heather Callahan, shown here at the front door to the newly acquired Gardener’s House at Point Breeze.

Two recent graduates of Princeton University were welcomed into one-year Fellowhips by D&R Greenway, beginning this summer. These Fellowships are provided in partnership with Princeton’s AlumniCorps Project 55 program. This program offers opportunities for exceptional recent graduates to connect with and work with nonprofits. The AlumniCorps Project 55’s motto is “Launch a life of civic leadership.” more

Pictured from left are Jacob Bright ’21, Lauren Hanna ’21, Aqua Withers Carello ’21, Alexis Semidey-Martinez ’21, and Angelo Leon ’21. Not pictured: Kaliyah Myricks ’21.

Six seniors from the George School Class of 2021 have committed to college athletic programs. The student athletes — in four different sports — celebrated their commitment to pursue their passion at the college level next year. In a ceremony held in the Fitness and Athletics Center, each senior was recognized by their families, coaches, teammates, and friends on Friday, May 21, 2021. more

The Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded $199,000 in COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund grants to nonprofits holding summer programs that will include instruction to help students overcome learning loss caused by the pandemic.

“Through these grants, we are helping 25 nonprofits engage 2,900 children in educational and social-emotional learning programs,” said Jeffrey M. Vega, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “We know COVID-19 caused significant disruptions to education, especially for students living in under-resourced communities, and we hope these grants will help young people rebound from some of that learning loss and re-engage children in the many community-based programs that were forced to shut down last year. We also invite other donors to join us in working to help nonprofits recover from the pandemic.” more

Waldorf School of Princeton (WSP), located at 1062 Cherry Hill Road, will hold an in-person Open House on Saturday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. Waldorf serves children from early childhood through eighth grade. RSVP at https://www.princetonwaldorf.org/upcomingevents.

The Waldorf School of Princeton is part of a rapidly growing global education movement that is dedicated to igniting each child’s unique potential and passions. The rich interdisciplinary curriculum is distinct in the way it integrates the academic, artistic and the practical in each lesson. more

Nipun Majumdar and his team’s solar desalination prototype. 

Nipun Majumdar, a senior mechanical engineering major at TCNJ, has won TerraCycle’s second annual Ernel Simpson Innovation Award for environmental innovation, complete with a $500 stipend to support continued work on this project. Nipun and his teammates, Sophia Vazquez and Vanni Roa, have developed a prototype to support sustainable desalination using solar power. As Nipun explains, “We are in the midst of a climate emergency, and among many other problems freshwater scarcity is looming in many countries around the world.” The desalination process, which converts seawater to drinking water, can be “environmentally disruptive,” due to its byproducts and  use of non-renewable energy sources, without designs like the one Nipun and his team have created. more

Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone is currently accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. A private, coeducational day school for students ages 3 through grade 12, GSB provides a rigorous, meaningful, and eye-opening curriculum to all. The bucolic campus is the perfect setting for outdoors and environmental learning opportunities. more

Noah Webster

It was on this day in 1828 that Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language was published. Webster put together the dictionary because he wanted Americans to have a national identity that wasn’t based on the language and ideas of England. And the problem wasn’t just that Americans were looking to England for their language; it was that they could barely communicate with each other because regional dialects were so vastly different.  more

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photo by Bill Cardoni, cardoniphoto.com

The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) at The College of New Jersey promotes an awareness of disability by providing learning, social, emotional, athletic, and residential accommodations for students, faculty, staff, and guests. Since her appointment as director of ARC, Meghan Sellet has continued to break down barriers and change definitions of what it means to be “different.” Rooted in social justice, Sellet’s work is at once uplifting and inclusive. All those who are interested can receive services and accommodations through ARC. In fact, Sellet details how the onset of COVID-19 and remote learning has only increased access to special services in a manner that is completely stigma-free and much less stressful.

Please describe what led you to your current work, including your academic background and your own higher education experience.

I accessed reasonable accommodations throughout my K-12 and college experiences. There were points during high school at which my guidance counselors gave me advice about “the best I could do with my future.” This advice didn’t exactly align with my own goals and vision. If I weren’t resilient, that advice would have unraveled me. Instead, I used others doubts as fuel to keep moving towards success. I went on to college to receive a B.S. in rehabilitation services from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Given the large population of students with disabilities at Wright State, I really was able to explore my identity as a disabled woman. For the first time in my life, I saw people like me on a daily basis. It felt so empowering. I played competitive sports at Wright State and was really involved on campus. Once I figured out how to balance my academic, social, and athletic obligations, I felt ready to take on an on-campus job in the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at Wright State, where I was a test proctor for other students with testing accommodations, such as extended time. It may sound silly to say that this job as a test proctor changed my life, but it truly did. From my sophomore year in undergrad to now, I can’t imagine working in a different field. My time at Wright State provided me with the confidence I needed to move on to my next chapter — grad school. When I think back on it, it is interesting how graduate school just fell into place for me.

During my junior year at Wright State, Teri Jordan, my future wheelchair track coach at Penn State, called my parents’ house in New Jersey looking for me. “She’s in Ohio,” my parents said. So, tenacious Teri tracked me down in Ohio, with the hopes that I would consider transferring to Penn State to participate in Penn State’s Ability Athletics program as a wheelchair track and field athlete. Penn State had just become a Paralympic high-performance training camp, and it was a great time to get in on that initiative at the ground level. As it turns out, I didn’t end up transferring to Penn State, but I did complete my undergraduate practicum with Teri in ability athletics. I got so comfortable at Penn State that I ended up staying there for grad school. It was tough and rewarding, and so snowy, but my time there was just amazingly memorable. more

#BlackLivesMatter cofounder Alicia Garza

A talk by the co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter, weekly showcases of cultural empowerment apparel, and a panel on the importance of graffiti are just a sample of The College of New Jersey’s programming for Black History Month 2021.

The celebrations began on Friday, February 5 with the raising of the Pan-African flag in front of Trenton Hall in conjunction with a program featuring remarks from students and administrators, and reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. from TCNJ’s own the Rev. Jamal Johnson. The flag has served as a representation of Black people since early in the 19^th century. The flag raising symbolizes the start of February’s unique education and social events. more

Purnell School, the only college preparatory boarding and day school for motivated girls in grades 9-12 who learn differently, announced six appointments to its faculty and staff. The additions officially joined Purnell at the start of its in-person fall 2020 semester.

“We are ready and excited for a healthy and safe start to the new school year,” said Anne M. Glass, Ed.M., head of school, Purnell School. “Joining our returning faculty, our newest team of dedicated professional educators will help us take Purnell’s proprietary Learning and Wellness approach to the next level, ensuring each student has access to rigorous academics and support with social emotional wellness.” more