NJ Orators Seton Hall University Host Civic Engagement Conference

Middle and high school students participated in New Jersey Orators Beyond High School Civic Engagement Conference at Seton Hall University. New Jersey Orators and Seton Hall University Hosts the 2nd Beyond High School Civic Engagement Conference.

Press Release: April 8, 2019

Civic Engagement. It is a big part of our nation’s governing infrastructure. That’s why the New Jersey Orators, Inc. has decided to offer middle and high school students from various New Jersey communities an opportunity to foster discussions on various aspects of civic engagement and social justice.

New Jersey Orators, Inc. provides an annual Beyond High School Educational Conference on College Readiness. However, in the fall of 2018 they decided to host their first of two Beyond High School Educational Conferences on Civic Engagement in partnership with Seton Hall University’s Martin Luther King Scholars Program. The Civic Engagement planning conferences were opened to middle and high school students, who built their confidence while engaging in civic discourse regarding school, community, and societal issues.

Middle and high school students from Newark, East Orange, Elizabeth Union, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, Old Bridge, Piscataway, New Brunswick, and Franklin Township were assigned to breakout groups where they identified and prioritized several areas of concern in their communities. They voiced their concerns about several issues, including Bullying/Cyber Bullying, School Safety, Community Policing, Social Media, Suicide, Gangs, Academic Pressure, Education Quality, and Teen Pregnancy, but in the end, they prioritized three top issues: 1) Bullying/Cyber Bullying; 2) School Safety; and 3) Community Policing.

Scholars from Seton Hall University’s Martin Luther King Scholars Program facilitated the discussion in the student breakout groups. Dr. Forest Pritchett is the Director of the MLK Scholars Program.

NJO’s second Civic Engagement conference recently held on March 23rd utilized facilitators from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), MLK Scholars Program, Abbott Leadership Institute, ADC Kids, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Rutgers University. Panel discussions covered Community Policing, School Safety and Student Engagement, and provided information on community engagement projects like the Abbott Leadership Institute and ADC Kids.

Funding from the Nor-Jer-Men, a social organization of 30 community-focused African American men, sponsored registration for 25 students to attend the conference. Nor-Jer-Men selects a non-profit or community organization each year and hosts a fundraising event to support its mission.

The New Jersey Orators, Inc. (www.oratorsinc.org) is a 34-year-old non-profit youth organization that teaches the art of public speaking, an appreciation of literature, reading and media arts literacy, civic engagement, college readiness, and life skills to youth from 7 to 18 years of age in preparation for higher education.

New Jersey Orators Founder & President, Eloise Samuels, and Paul Briley, Board Member & Education & Training Committee Chair, Orlando Dillon, Social Media Director with volunteers, Leslie-Ann Lukoma and Marcia Mitchell, ensured a successful conference. For additional details about New Jersey Orators, Inc., please visit our website at http://www.oratorsinc.org.