Womanspace Is Turning Towns Teal
In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in April, the Womanspace Education and Community Outreach Committee is planning a “Turn the Town Teal Scavenger Hunt” to spread awareness throughout the county. With the support of local businesses, five municipalities within Mercer County — Hightstown, Lawrence, Trenton, Ewing, Hamilton, and Rider University are participating in this campaign.
Danielle Scollins, coordinator of prevention and community education, said: “This year for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we will be starting our first scavenger hunt to raise awareness. Our goal is to involve the community to learn more about sexual assault in an accessible and engaging way. We are hoping this event will continue to grow each year.”
The committee members will be placing teal ribbons attached to posters with QR codes in small businesses, restaurants, and local parks. These QR codes will link to fact-based content on how we as a community can support and believe survivors. Participants will scan the QR code on their smartphone to learn how to support survivors, talk about consent, and facts on the reality of sexual assault.
Teal ribbons attached to flyers will be located at the following locations within each municipality in the order listed below:
• Hightstown: Little Key Coffee, 4Seasons Deli & Café, Hightstown Public Library, Association Park
• Lawrence: Starbucks, The Gingered Peach, Purple Cow, Weeden Park
• Trenton: Mercer County Board of Social Services (MCBOSS), Cooper’s Riverview, The Big Easy, Serenity Garden
• Ewing: Pizza City, Timeless Hair Gallery, Wawa, Planet Fitness
• Hamilton: Gifted Boutique, Jersey Girl Café, Rt 33 Starbucks, Robbinsville Lake Dr. Gazebo
• Rider University: Saxby’s, Daly’s, Starbucks, Cranberries
The scavenger hunt officially began on April 8 and continues throughout the month of April. Participants who complete the scavenger hunt will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win door prizes, including Beats by Dre, an Amazon Echo Dot, and Ulta & Lowe’s Home Improvement gift cards. The raffle will be drawn the first week of May and winners will be contacted by a Womanspace staff member.
The Womanspace Coordinator of the Domestic Violence Victim Response Team is excited to launch this new community engagement initiative: “In order to envision a world without violence, the importance of community education and community response must always be at the forefront of our minds; by engaging in tough and uncomfortable conversations, we are able to better understand what is needed to turn an idea into our reality.”
To the Editor: Thank You from PNS
On April 2 the community came together at the Starry Starry Evening Gala at Bedens Brook Country Club to support the incredible work of Princeton Nursery School (PNS). The event raised funds for PNS and celebrated our community’s commitment to ensuring that all local children build strong minds, strong bodies, and strong connections. Exciting news about the school’s future was also shared, as PNS announced a new Executive Director, Leanna Jahnke, after a comprehensive search.
PNS was founded in 1929 by Margaret Matthews-Flinsch to help working mothers who felt forced to choose between supporting their families or caring for their children. Today, the school honors this history by helping children and families break the cycle of poverty through a successful start to their education. Through the hard work and the support of staff, volunteers, and board members, PNS has been able to continue its mission of empowering children through exceptional early education and supportive family services that are affordable for all. All the funds raised during A Starry Starry Evening will sustain essential services provided by PNS, including providing high-quality education, nutritious meals, and comprehensive family support.
As the new Executive Director, Leanna will be continuing the school’s impactful programming and building upon its strong foundation. The Board of Trustees was certain that Leanna was the perfect candidate given her extensive experience in education, her charismatic personality, and her commitment to advancing equity. She has spent 13 years working in education, leading school communities and equitable education initiatives as a teacher, school administrator, and nonprofit program manager and director. Leanna graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with a B.A. in Hispanic Studies and is now pursuing her M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership from her alma mater.
PNS and its Board of Trustees would like to send a sincere thank you to all of our generous donors and corporate sponsors of the event. Our wonderful community made it an evening to remember, with an impact that will carry on through our students and families. We are excited to watch as Leanna continues our commitment to creating brighter futures for children and families through an excellent preschool education.
More information about PNS can be found at www.princetonnurseryschool.org.
