The 2024 Camden County Teen Arts Festival returned to Camden County College to celebrate art education in Camden County high schools. Each year, students representing high schools throughout the County convene at Camden County College for the festival presented by the Commissioner Board’s Cultural and Heritage Commission. This year, more than 400 students from 15 area schools utilized the facilities of Camden County College’s Performing and Visual Arts building.

“We are thrilled to once again showcase the talents of our local high school students, and highlight the importance of supporting visual, literary and performing arts programs in our schools,” said Commissioner Melinda Kane, liaison to the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission. “We have some amazing talent in Camden County, and this is their chance to share their work with their peers and professional mentors.”

Local artists, musicians, dancers, directors, and choreographers along with CCC arts, music, and literature faculty participated as adjudicators and workshop instructors. Professional artists will be present to conduct portfolio reviews for visual arts students.

Arts disciplines represented included 2D and 3D visual arts; small and large group theater; small and large group musical theater; small and large group vocal performance; small and large group instrumental performance; creative writing; poetry; and, video and filmmaking.

In addition to adjudication of visual arts and performances, students participated in various workshops conducted by local professionals, including “The Art of Improv,” “Sound Healing and Breathing,” “Songwriting Workshop,” “Theater Dance Audition Prep,” and more.

The Camden County Teen Arts Festival is presented by the Camden County Board of Commissioners, the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission and the Arts at Camden County College.

About the Teen Arts Festival
The Teen Arts Festival is an annual state-wide event for middle and high school students to be recognized for their interests in the arts and to encourage them to continue their creative work. Schools send delegations of students to share their work for critiques and critical analysis in a variety of artistic disciplines, from fine arts to performance. Counties hold Teen Arts events, where students gather during a one-day event to present their work, receive critiques from professional artists, observe the work of their peers, and participate in hands-on workshops in their areas of interest with local professionals. Winners at the county level qualify to compete with students from other counties in the statewide Teen Arts Festival in June.

About the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission
The Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission, founded in 1972, recognizes the role of the arts and local history in making our communities dynamic places to live and work. The Commission was established by the Board of Commissioners to act as the designated agency in Camden County to receive and administer the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Local Arts Program and the New Jersey Historical Commission County History Partnership Program.

As the end of Spring semester comes nearer, Caden Diaz is getting ready for Commencement, deciding where he will be transferring in the fall, while balancing his part-time job, his responsibilities as SGA Vice President and member of Psi Beta, and his school work.

In his free time on Wednesdays though, you can find Caden helping inmates at the State Correctional Institution at Chester in Chester County, Pennsylvania with their math.

Caden has been a volunteer for the Petey Greene Program since November 2023. Founded in 2008, the Petey Greene Program supports the academic goals of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people through high-quality volunteer tutoring programs. In addition to this mission, the Petey Greene Program strives to educate their volunteers on the injustices in our carceral system and encourages them advocate for the reimagining of our current criminal legal system.

Caden’s volunteer group, which includes students from Haverford, Swarthmore, and the University of Pennsylvania, visit the prison every Wednesday morning. The volunteers are escorted to the education floor where they work with a group of students who are struggling in their GED classes and provide them academic support, most frequently with math. The volunteers usually work one-on-one with their students. Caden works with the students who primarily speak Spanish.

The experience has been a transformative one for not only the students Caden works with, but for Caden himself as well. Caden mentioned that one of the students he works with, Mariano, has helped Caden more with his Spanish than Caden has helped him with his math. Mariano grew up in the Dominican Republic at a time where education was not widely available. Caden noted that Mariano keeps the notes from each of their sessions in a manila folder, ready to review and expand on the next week.

“Although I was not initially informed or engaged about education and reform in prisons, it has evolved to become something I am passionate about,” stated Caden. “My interactions with the students at the prison have been impactful.”

Caden speaks highly of the Petey Greene Program, and has had a positive experience as a volunteer. He receives reimbursement for his travel, has the opportunity to meet students from other institutions, and most importantly, makes an impact on the students he works with, just as they make an impact on him.

“I would encourage anyone interested to take the chance on it,” said Caden of being a volunteer in the Petey Greene Program. “I think that more than anything, someone’s involvement in the program will surprise them. It definitely challenges any preconceived notions you might have.”

Caden is planning to transfer to a four-year institution in the fall, although he is not sure which one just yet, to study neuroscience and behavior with the goal of attending medical school in the future. Caden hopes to practice Psychiatry- ideally in a prison, as he believes that it is important that mental health care is accessible to all.

On April 2, the Camden County College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution to establish the “Preferred First Name” policy, which will allow all Camden County College students and employees to indicate their preferred first name to the College community.

Camden County College recognizes that many people use a first name different than their legal name to identify themselves. Camden County College will use the indicated preferred first name on all College documents that are not legal documents.

Students who would like to indicate their preferred first name can request a form fromthe Records and Registration office. Employees who would like to indicate their preferred first name can request a form from Human Resources.

Employees of Ravitz Family Markets are attending Camden County College at no cost thanks to their employer, and a grant from the Camden County Workforce Development Board.

Every Tuesday and Wednesday evening, a group of approximately 20 employees from Ravitz Family Markets attend classes at Camden County College’s William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill.

Through the Incumbent Worker Training Grant, Ravitz Family Markets are able to send their employees to the College and have the cost of the classes covered by the Workforce Development Board. Ravitz pays their employees to attend the class, ensuring that they do not miss out on income.

The one-year Supermarket Management Certificate program consists of 10 college classes, with topics ranging from management to accounting. Employees who complete the program earn 30 credits from Camden County College. The concept for the program was sparked by a realization by the Ravitz Organization that they had to keep up with the changing times.

“We realized that we needed to be more global in the way we think and operate,” said Ken Brahl, Senior Director and Chief Compliance Officer for Ravitz Family Markets. “The way we do things is not the only way things get done, and the way you learn that is through college”.

For many of the employees enrolled in the program, this is their first time stepping foot into a college classroom. Approximately 90% of the employees at Ravitz worked their way up the ladder from part-time to full-time, and with a six-day work week, there was not much extra time to go to college. As a result of being compensated for their time spent in the classroom, a significant barrier has been removed for these employees, allowing them to begin their higher education journey.

Due to momentum they have gained through attending this program, several Ravitz employees have chosen to continue their education, and are working towards, or have completed their associate degrees from Camden County College. One employee even received a Camden County College shirt from his mother as a Christmas gift, as he was the first in his family to attend college.

For Ravitz, they are already seeing the benefits of their employees’ participation in the program. At a recent End-of-Quarter meeting, the Store Managers who had just completed the program’s accounting class had a noticeably higher level of understanding of their store’s finances. 4 out of the 5 Store Managers had no prior college experience before attending this program.

The success of the program has led to it becoming a requirement for Store Managers at Ravitz, and there is a growing waiting list of other employees who are eager to participate.

“We’re excited to see the caliber of our management in the coming years as a result of this program,” remarked Ken. “It’s an investment in the futures of our employees, and our business.”

On Friday, March 22, five Camden County College students, Robert Czarnota, Ngan Dao, Cole Doms, Matt Dvortsyn, and Rebecca Perez, competed in the 2024 Alteryx Datathon in New York City.

These students were among the top 52 entrants from Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, who were invited to compete in the Alteryx Datathon Finals after completing the Alteryx Virtual Qualifying Challenge in February.

Students were placed into teams of four, and asked to complete a data analysis on homelessness in New York City. After completing the initial five-hour challenge and presenting their outcomes to the judges, the top three teams competed in the Lightning Round, where they were given 30 minutes to solve three data science, data preparation, and analysis problems.

Matt Dvortsyn and Rebecca Perez competed in the Lightning Round and emerged victorious. Their team set a new solving record, completing the task in just 10 minutes. Students on the winning team were awarded $3,000 each.

“Even though our team didn’t win, it was a fun and exciting experience, and I was happy to meet with potential employers,” remarked first-year student Cole Doms.

Congratulations to Professor Anita Wright, Robert, Ngan, Cole, Matt, and Rebecca on this accomplishment!

Alteryx is an industry leader in data analysis, and supports educators and students through providing software, educational materials, certifications, and mentoring opportunities.

More than 20 cultural and arts organizations across Camden County received their grants during the inaugural Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission Award Breakfast at Camden County College’s William G. Rohrer Center on March 8. This event served as a formal acknowledgement of the funding that local organizations receive from the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the County History Partnership Program through the New Jersey Historical Commission.

“This was a morning of acknowledgment, networking and inspiration as we paid tribute to the outstanding efforts of the arts, history and educational organizations that have shaped the cultural landscape of Camden County” said Commissioner Melinda Kane, liaison to the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission. “The Cultural and Arts organizations in Camden County have an invaluable impact on our area and we are proud to continue to support their efforts.”

The Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission at Camden County College supports the local arts and history that make our communities dynamic places to live and work. The commission was established by the Camden County Board of Commissioners to act as the designated agency in Camden County to receive and administer the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Local Arts Program and the New Jersey Historical Commission County History Partnership Program.

In collaboration with “A League Apart,” an exhibit showcasing the importance of breaking barriers through the stories of the Philadelphia and South Jersey Negro Leagues, Camden County College hosted a panel discussion on the legacy of the Negro Leagues on Wednesday, February 28 at Camden County College’s William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill Township.

Former Philadelphia Phillies player and coach, Milt Thompson offered his perspective on the Negro Leagues and how they helped shape his career. Baseball researcher and founder of Baseball-Reference.com, Sean Forman, along with several area historians and authors discussed the advancement of Negro League statistics, and the legacy of the Negro Leagues. Guests also had the opportunity to view exclusive Negro League memorabilia donated by Camden County College professor Dr. Kelly Jackson, authenticated baseball cards, and a display of books by local authors.

Using memorabilia, photos, and stories from the past, “A League Apart” focuses on the players who stepped up to the plate to change the biases and traditions of baseball. The exhibit is produced by Carolyn Quick (University of the Arts alumna) and Brian Michael (owner of Shibe Vintage Sports). “A League Apart” is now open at the William G. Rohrer Center, is free to the public and open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through May 20, 2024.

“I can’t think of a better way to honor and celebrate Black History Month than with an exhibition highlighting contributions and accomplishments made by Black Americans in our region,” Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young said. “I encourage everyone to visit the exhibition while it is at Camden County College, as it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues here in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area.”

More information is available at www.ALeagueApart.org where you will also find an online giftshop featuring merchandise including a Hilldale Daisies t-shirt and Philadelphia Stars shirts and hats.