For Students
The New Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC) is partnering with the state Department of Environmental Protection to coordinate a youth video contest, with the theme to “Reduce Single Use.”
The contest is designed to inspire the next generation to share the importance of combatting litter, highlighting the single-used plastics law that went into effect on May 4, 2022, which banned the free distribution of single-use bags at supermarkets and other larger stores.
This contest challenges middle and high school students to create an original 60-second public service announcement (PSA) video, in English or in Spanish, to promote awareness of how single-use plastics contribute to litter and marine debris, harm the environment, and can have a devastating effect on marine wildlife.
Specifically, students should focus on ways to reduce single use plastics (plastic bottles/cups, plasticware, etc.), showcase innovative ways people are complying with New Jersey’s single-use bag ban law or suggest what next steps the state should undertake to reduce plastic litter.
The contest is open to students in 7th through 12th grades. Students may enter on their own or as a group.
Winning videos will be highlighted on NJCCC’s websites — njclean.org and/or litterfreenj.com — and may be offered for broadcast to New Jersey television and cable stations. They may also be used as part of public forums hosted by the NJCCC and posted to social media.
There are two categories. Category I will consist of 7th-9th graders and Category II will consist of 10th-12th graders. The top three videos in each category will be awarded cash prizes (gift cards). First prize wins $1,000, second place receives $750, and third place earns $500.
The submission deadline is Monday, April 22. Winners will be announced May 29.
Learn more at litterfreenj.com/index.php/news/video-contest-2026. For questions, e-mail njccc@njclean.org
Call for Poetry
NAMI NJ seeks submissions for its Dara Axelrod Expressive Arts 2026 Mental Health Poetry Contest.
This year’s 12th annual contest invites poets to explore a powerful and deeply personal question: What does strength feel like?
Strength is often spoken about, but rarely defined. It can be loud or quiet, fleeting or enduring. It may live in survival, in healing, in rest, or in choosing to keep going when the path feels uncertain. Strength can be found in recovery, in vulnerability, in faith, in community, or in moments that seem ordinary but carry extraordinary meaning.
What does strength feel like to you? Tell us, in poetic form.
Poems must be in keeping with the theme and no more than 40 lines. Poems must be typewritten as a Word Document (no PDF files).
Entrants must complete the NAMI NJ Medial Release Form, available online.
Minors must include their age upon submission and provide parent consent on the form. Writers and poets of all ages are welcome to submit.
The contest is only open to applicants with a U.S. mailing address. The submission deadline is Wednesday, April 1, by 11:59 p.m. Email entries to poetry@naminj.org or mail to NAMI NJ Poetry Contest, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick, NJ 08902.
Poems will be open to public voting for the Top 10 by May. The Top 3 win a cash prize!
Visit naminj.org/get-involved/dara-axelrod-expressive-arts-network/poetry-corner for more information.
Audition
Kelsey Theater and Off-Centre Stages host auditions for a summer production of “Company.”
On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed New York City bachelor, Robert, contemplates his unmarried state. Over a series of dinners, drinks, parties, and even a wedding, his married friends examine the pros and cons of sharing your life with a partner. The habitually single Robert is then forced to question his adamant retention of bachelorhood during an array of hilarious, moving, and thought-provoking interactions with the people around him. “Company” is a fast-moving, deeply-felt modern exploration of loneliness and connection.
The production will be performed with live pit musicians. Eight performances are scheduled for Fridays through Sundays, July 31 through August 9.
Auditions take place Sunday, March 15, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Monday, March 16, from 6 to 10 p.m. Callbacks, by invitation only, will be held on Sunday, March 22, beginning at 1 p.m.
Auditions will be held on the Mercer County Community College West Windsor Campus. Check the Kelsey Theatre sign board for a room location on the day of your audition. MCCC is located at 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor.
To prepare for the audition, review the musical selections and sides pre-selected for each. Auditions also include a short movement call. The production features lots of movement and physical performance.
To sign up for a one-hour audition time slot and view preparation materials visit kelsey.mccc.edu/auditions.shtml.
For questions, contact the director at JonathanEdmondson94@gmail.com.
