It is my pleasure to introduce New Jersey SEEDS' 20th anniversary look with the Spring edition of eSeedlings! Officially launched at our Leading Change Benefit, this logo will usher us into our 21st year with the same excitement and energy our founders brought to the table when SEEDS was founded in 1992.

Our anniversary logo was designed by Sooyeon Kim, a senior in the School of Art at The Cooper Union. Sooyeon worked under the guidance of Mindy Lang, Director of the Center for Design and Typography, whose Professional Practice Class provides pro bono services to inspiring nonprofit organizations.

In Sooyeon's design proposal, she shared that her work, "reflects youth, growth and hope. The design has the potential to continue expanding the folded shape to represent the opening of new chapters for students and reflect the organization's forward-looking mindset. The geometric form illustrates the shape of opened books and alludes to the idea of education. The five letters of the acronym break out of the geometric form, creating a more active, vibrant and playful logo to better represent the motivated and high-achieving students of New Jersey SEEDS."

We could not agree more. For 20 years, we've provided

From left to right: SEEDS President Ronni Denes; SEEDS Founders Blair MacInnes, William V. Engel, Mark Sandler, and Betty Marsh; SEEDS Scholar Class of 2000 Daniela Frias, SEEDS Board of Trustees Chair Susan Present

educational access to exceptional students across the state and have enabled some 1,630 students
to receive the education they want and deserve. 

At our Leading Change Benefit held on April 3 at Maritime Parc, we celebrated all that SEEDS has accomplished and honored those who have made significant contributions to improving the educational experiences of high-achieving, low-income students. Thanks to our honorees for joining us on this special night: Jerry del Missier and Barclays; Joseph M. Taylor and Panasonic; Superintendent of Orange Public Schools Ronald C. Lee; and our SEEDS Founders: John Duffy, William V. Engel, John Hanly, Blair MacInnes, Betty Marsh and Mark Sandler.

Special thanks to our friends and neighbors who have been supporting SEEDS for the past 20 years, and for those who joined us for our celebration in early April. More than 300 of you came out to expand educational access for students across the state. I'm proud to announce that you contributed more than $720,000 to change the lives of our scholars.

Thank you for all that you have done to support SEEDS in its mission to create a world where young people's initiative, creativity and intellect can flourish without regard to socioeconomic status.

Best regards,

Ronni Denes

President 

 

New Jersey SEEDS is proud to announce that we have selected the 2012-2013 class of Young Scholars. In all, 25 students were accepted to the program, which will begin June 25 at Delbarton School in Morristown, NJ.

Our Admissions team is now in the final stages of selecting our next Scholars class. Eighteen students were directly accepted as early admissions to the Summer Challenge Program (SCP). For two weekends in April, SEEDS volunteers and staff interviewed potential candidates and families, and notifications will be sent out in the coming days. In all, 125 students will be accepted for SCP, which takes place June 24-July 13 at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa.

Our Scholars have had a busy spring! As part of their curriculum, Scholars had the opportunity to explore potential future career paths in law and medicine. 

Thanks to the support of Trustee Victor Boyajian and his colleagues

Victor Boyajian (front left) and   SEEDS Scholars at SNR Denton for Law Day

at SNR Denton, Scholars

from Newark Academy spent several weeks preparing written and oral arguments on internet piracy. On March 31, their hard work paid off, as students presented their arguments to peers and SNR Denton mentors. 

Scholars also had the opportunity to attend annual Hospital Day events at Morristown Medical Center (March 17) and Hackensack University Medical Center (March 31). Scholars shadowed doctors in a variety of specialties and heard what a typical day is like for these medical professionals. SEEDS students also participated in a medical ethics case study where the group discussed how each would handle a moral dilemma when treating a patient. 

In early April, 25 CPP juniors hit the road with SEEDS to visit six colleges and universities as part of the Spring College Tour. During the three-day trip, students toured Clark University, Connecticut College, Lasell College, Quinnipiac University, Tufts University and Wheaton College. 

SEEDS High School Scholars at MoMA.

Guidance also planned a spring college tour for High School Alumni, visiting five higher education institutions over four days. During their trip, scholars took tours of Colgate University, Cornell University, Hamilton College, Syracuse University and Union College.

Join us Monday, June 4, 2012, at the Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell as we kick-off the17th annual BSCF Golf and Tennis Classic benefiting New Jersey SEEDS. Registration and brunch begin at 10:30, with our Golf Shotgun at 11:30 and Tennis Tournament beginning at 2:30. Afterwards, please join us for a cocktail reception and dinner, including the announcement of our auction and raffle winners. 

For additional questions or to RSVP for the event, please contact Sarah Cassidy at [email protected].