The Weary Blues: Celebrating Langston Hughes at NJPAC

Join New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) for a special virtual presentation on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. to celebrate International Jazz Day, National Poetry Month, and the playwright and novelist Langston Hughes. 

Viewers will be treated to song and poetry performances by NJPAC’s Verses and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Two local Newark poets, Dimitri Reyes and Treasure Borde, will share poetry inspired by Hughes’ life and times. Renowned jazz saxophonist Mark Gross and his quartet will also share their interpretations of Hughes’ compendium of writing.  more

Cambridge School: Where Children Who Learn Differently Thrive

Located at 100 Straube Center Boulevard in Pennington, Cambridge School is an independent K-12 day school that specializes in helping students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorder, and executive function difficulties, among others. However, the school prides itself on teaching to learning differences, not disabilities, as some educational institutions perceive it.  more

Princeton Junior School Odyssey of the Mind Teams Qualify for World Final Competition

On Saturday, April 9, Princeton Junior School’s Odyssey of the Mind teams competed in the New Jersey State Finals at Princeton High School. There, both teams qualified to advance to the World Finals taking place at Iowa State University, May 25-28.

The Grade 6 Team competed in Division II against other New Jersey middle school 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students and placed second in their long-term problem, Escape Vroom. The Grade 5 Team competed in Division I against elementary students and placed third for their Matryoshka Structure.  more

Celebrate Children’s Day at the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center

Image Source: https://japanphilly.org/shofuso/

Located in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, every year the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center celebrates Children’s Day on May 5. Children’s Day is a Japanese national holiday and is the final celebration of Golden Week, a collection of four national holidays within seven days. It is a day set aside to respect children’s individual personalities and to celebrate their happiness. more

Drew University Announces New Musical Theatre Minor

Image Source: https://drew.edu

Drew University in Madison, N.J.  has recently announced the addition of a musical theater minor. This new program will supplement the popular theater arts major and four other program minors.

The minor is an interdisciplinary program incorporating the study of acting, dance, movement, vocal arts, performance history, and related musical subjects. The program distinctively offers students the opportunity to create original musicals as well as to participate in immersive experiences. more

Local Organizations Partner to Save the True Family Farmstead in Skillman

True Farmstead (Image Source: www.ssaamuseum.org)

The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) and Sourland Conservancy have joined forces to purchase and save the historic True family farmstead in Skillman, N.J.

The property was originally owned by an African American Union army veteran who worked as a farmer after the Civil War. In 1891, after his death, his wife Cordina married Spencer True, a descendant of the former slave Friday Truehart. Interestingly, Truehart had gained his freedom in 1819 and became an early African American landowner in the Sourland region. Spencer and Corinda made their home on the farmstead, which originally included the land on which the National Historic Register-listed Mt. Zion AME Church stands today. Spencer and Corinda donated the land for the church in 1899 after the original church, built around 1866 on the Sourland Mountain, burned down. Mt. Zion AME Church welcomed its African American congregants until 2005, and now serves as the home of the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum. more

Paul Robeson’s 124th Birthday Celebration

Join the Arts Council of Princeton and the Paul Robeson House of Princeton to commemorate Paul Robeson’s 124th birthday on Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The gathered community will celebrate with the laying of a wreath on Robeson’s bust outside the Arts Council and the acknowledgement of the first Robeson Scholars to honor area students who excel in the arts and athletics. A reception will follow with cake for all to enjoy.  more

Stuart Community Comes Together to Support Aid to Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has touched the minds and hearts of many, including the greater Stuart Country Day School community. Cindy Michalak, Stuart’s college counselor whose family has roots in Ukraine, and science teacher Natalie Voicu, who was born in Ukraine and whose extended family remains, recently gave a presentation on the history of Ukraine and the current war. more

Monmouth President Leahy Recognized as Influencer in Higher Education

Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy has been named to ROI-NJ’s Influencers: Higher Education 2022 list. The list highlights university leaders in New Jersey who have spearheaded meaningful improvements to their institution in the past year. According to ROI-NJ, presidents selected for the list represent schools that “graduate some of the top students in the country, many of whom will have global impact. Just as important, they will teach first-generation graduates that will have local impacts of equal measure.” more

TCNJ’s School of Business Ranks as a Top Program in Nation

The College of New Jersey School of Business ranked 79th in Poets&Quants for Undergrads’ sixth annual best Undergraduate Business Schools 2022 ranking report. This year, the study ranked the top 94 business programs based on admissions standards, academic experience, and employment outcomes.  more

All About Rutgers Preparatory Summer Camps

It’s the summer conundrum that every parent faces — what camp do I sign my child up for this summer? While there are seemingly unlimited options for every interest in greater central New Jersey, one all-inclusive program that might appeal to your child is Rutgers Preparatory School Summer Programs. From in-classroom science classes to lacrosse coaching, Rutgers Prep has a variety of camp programs for different age levels. more

Pruning Demonstration with Gary Mount of Terhune Orchards

On Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m., join Gary Mount, owner of Terhune Orchards, for a free pruning class in his own orchards located at 330 Cold Soil Road in Princeton. Mount is frequently asked for his advice on pruning and will answer attendee questions through formal demonstrations and conversation. He will also discuss the varieties of fruit trees suitable for planting by the homeowner and the difference between various rootstocks.  more

Intrepid Museum After Hours: Journey to the Moon and Mars

On March 1 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., take a tour through space and time, from the early days of space travel during the space race to present-day explorations of Mars. This unique program at Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is open to current and former service members only. Guest speakers will include present-day astronauts who will regal the audience with tales of their past and future space explorations and what it means for the future development of human understanding. Audience members will be able to get up-close and personal with model replicas of the Perseverance Mars rover and Ingenuity drone on temporary loan from NASA. The scientific conversations will continue over a catered dinner held at the space museum. more

Virtual Rose Workshop with Renowned Rosarian Michael Marriott

Upper Rose Terrace at Bodnant. Credit: David Austin Roses and Howard Rice.

On February 22 at 2 p.m., Morven Museum presents a virtual event entitled “Return of the Rosarian” with Michael Marriott, live from the U.K. Marriott will discuss the British roots of Mount Vernon’s historic roses on Washington’s birthday and will share other rose-related tips and tricks for cultivating your own special rose-hued oasis. Personal Zoom links will be emailed to registered participants on the day of the event. A recording of the lecture will also be sent to all registrants following the event. Attendance is $10-15. more

Maple Sugaring Season at Howell Farm

It’s that time of year again!

With freezing nights and thawing days, the smell of maple syrup is in the air at Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell Township. Guests will have the opportunity to observe and participate in harvesting maple syrup from the farm’s trees on Saturday, February 19 and Saturday, February 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. more

Rutgers-New Brunswick’s Zimmerli Art Museum Names New Director

Photo Credit: Rochelle S. Paris

Maura Reilly — a curator, writer, art consultant, and nonprofit leader who has organized dozens of exhibitions internationally that focus on marginalized artists — has been named the new director of the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Reilly is the founding curator of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum, where she developed and launched the first exhibition and public programming space in the United States devoted entirely to feminist art. While there, she organized several landmark exhibitions, including the permanent installation of Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” and the blockbuster “Global Feminisms” (co-curated with Linda Nochlin), among others. more

Congratulations to PDS Girls’ Varsity Ice Hockey Prep Champs

The Princeton Day School (PDS) girls’ ice hockey team reigns supreme, having bested Oak Knoll in a 5-0 performance to earn the Prep Championship. Their impressive run to the February 8 Prep final included playing each round as the visiting team, defeating Pingry in the quarter finals and, two days later, beating the No. 1 seed, four-time defending champions Morristown-Beard School with a score of 3-2 to get to the final. more

Orchid House Opening Weekend at Longwood Gardens

February 26 and 27 

Join the celebration at Longwood Gardens for the annual Orchid House Opening Weekend on February 26 and 27. Meet the brains behind the beauty of Longwood’s orchid collection including facts about orchid restoration, research, and conservation. Orchid Collection Curator Greg Griffis will be on hand to answer attendee questions about everything orchid-related. Admission is free with the purchase of Gardens admission. Buy tickets in advance here: https://longwoodgardens.org/events-performances/events/orchid-house-opening-weekend. more

PU Public Lectures Series Welcomes Marc M. Howard, March 16

Princeton University’s Public Lecture Series will continue March 16 from 5 to 6:15 p.m. at McCosh 50 with Marc M. Howard of Georgetown University, one of the country’s leading voices and advocates for criminal justice and prison reform. He is a professor of government and law, and the founding director of the Prisons and Justice Initiative at Georgetown University. He is also the founder and president of the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, a nonprofit organization that launched in 2020.  more

Rutgers 46th Annual Home Gardeners School: Gardening for Everyone

Saturday, February 26 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Whether you are a flower fanatic or a vegetable virtuoso, the 2022 Home Gardeners School @Home has something for you. This half-day online conference allows gardeners of any level to choose from 15 different workshops taught by horticultural experts, on various gardening topics including vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals. The cost to virtually attend is $80 general admission and $75 for Master Gardeners members. more

The Bunbury Fund Awards Over $1.4M in Grants

The Bunbury Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation awarded more than $1.4 million in grants in 2021 to local nonprofits to help build their internal capacity.

“The Bunbury Fund’s mission is to strengthen the ability of nonprofit organizations to do their best work,” said Jamie Kyte Sapoch, a Community Foundation trustee and adviser to the Bunbury Fund. “We also believe it’s important to develop meaningful relationships with the nonprofit partners that we support. There are so many organizations in our region doing incredible work. With these grants, we hope to help some of them achieve their next level of organizational maturity and capability.” more

Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier ’13 Visits Hun School

Image Source: Hun School of Princeton 

Camille Schrier (Hun School ’13) became a viral sensation when she was crowned Miss America 2020. Schrier was the first person in the organization’s 100 year history to win the famous competition based on a STEM platform. Her talent was in fact a demonstration of a chemical reaction using hydrogen peroxide, sodium iodide, and dish soap. The result was a large foamy concoction which she dubbed “elephant toothpaste.”

Schrier is currently pursuing a doctorate of pharmacology at Virginia Commonwealth University and visited the Hun School in early January to speak with current students. Schrier made for an engaging guest and discussed everything from her path to Miss America, women’s leadership, drug education, the opioid crisis,  how substance abuse effects cognitive behavior, and her experiences so far in the STEM field. more

Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve Seeking Summer Interns

Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, Pa., is offering paid summer internships to qualified applicants who are interested in native plant education, horticulture, and public gardens. The internship will begin in either May or June 2022. Applicants must have already completed two years of college. The application deadline is March 1, 2022.  more

PU’s Fund for Irish Studies Presents James Logenbach on W.B. Yeats

Poet James Longenbach. Photo Credit: Adam Fenster.

Princeton University’s Fund for Irish Studies (FIS) presents a lecture by James Logenbach on W.B. Yeats and his poem, “Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen” on Friday, January 28, the 83rd anniversary of Yeats’ death, at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar. 

Princeton University professor and Co-Chair of the Fund for Irish Studies Paul Muldoon will provide a welcome and introduction. The lecture is free and open to the public. Register online at https://arts.princeton.edu/events/fund-for-irish-studies-poet-james-longenbach/. 

Logenbach will give an account of William Butler Yeats’ (1865-1939) poem, discussing how it assumed its shape, and, more importantly, the influence of that shape on subsequent long poems written throughout the 20th century. Yeats won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.  more

Stuart Student Named Regeneron Science Talent Scholar

Congratulations to Stuart Country Day School’s Sonya Jin ‘22 who was recognized as a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar. The #RegeneronSTS provides students a national stage to present original research and celebrates the hard work and novel discoveries of young scientists who are bringing a fresh perspective to significant global challenges. The 300 scholars and their schools will be awarded $2,000 each. more

Book of the Month: Each Month’s Best Books, All in One Place

Treat your bookshelf and home library to a book subscription box from Book of the Month (www.bookofthemonth.com), the original book subscription service.

This convenient subscription is perfect for bibliophiles who would like to support the publishing industry and rely less on ordering from Amazon and other big-box retailers. The other great thing about Book of the Month (BOTM), is that it provides a curated list of wave-making titles in a variety of genres and sub-genres. From new fiction to thrillers, romance, “quick reads,” history, family sagas, mysteries, and more, readers are sure to find a monthly title that appeals to them and will be shipped in the form of a hardcover, directly to their front door. more

Artworks Trenton Appoints M’kina Tapscott as Executive Director

Artworks Trenton, a leading visual arts center in central New Jersey, has announced the appointment of M’kina Tapscott as executive director, beginning January 18. The selection of Tapscott followed an intensive search and selection process. Tapscott succeeds Lauren Otis, executive director since February 2016, who in 2021 announced his intention to step down. more

Special PPL Event on the Anniversary of the Capitol Insurrection

Join Princeton Public Library (PPL) for a virtual Crowdcast event on Thursday, January 6 from 8 to 9 p.m. with writers Karen J. Greenberg and Julian E. Zelizer. On the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection, Greenberg and Zelizer will discuss the “subtle tools” that were forged under George W. Bush in the name of security and their impact on how the Trump administration was able to weaponize disinformation, xenophobia, and distrust of law. more

Stuart School and NCGLS Host Women in Business for Virtual Alumnae Career Lunch

On the Monday before winter break, the National Center for Girls’ Leadership (NCGLS) at Stuart hosted a virtual Women in Leadership career lunch featuring four Stuart alums and a current parent with careers in business. Students cycled through Google Meet breakout rooms that were hosted by leadership endorsement candidates and guests shared their career journeys, lessons learned from mistakes, and reflections on their Stuart experience. Virtual panels like these have allowed Stuart Country Day to give current students access to more experts within the alumnae community who would not normally be able to attend in person.  more

Rubin Museum’s New AWAKEN Podcast with Laurie Anderson

The Rubin Museum in New York City presents AWAKEN, a podcast hosted by acclaimed musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” In 10 episodes, the audience is led into a “deep dive” through the personal stories of guests who share how they’ve experienced a shift in their awareness, and as a result, their perspectives on life. From deep introspection to curious, yet life-changing subtle inquiries, awakening can take on many forms, from the mundane to the sacred. more