PRESS RELEASE

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST-TIME NEW JERSEY MAKERS DAY GRANT

The New Jersey Makers Day Executive Board is proud to announce the winners of the first-ever NJMD grant opportunity. All sites that registered by an Early Bird date for the 2018 New Jersey Makers Day were invited to apply for grant funding of up to $500 per site.

Over 70 applications were submitted, and 15 organizations were awarded funding:

Beachwood Elementary School (Toms River School District)
Dover Free Public Library
Elizabeth Public Library, Elmora Branch
Franklin Township Public Library (Somerset County)
Gloucester County Library System, Swedesboro Branch
George Washington Middle School (Wayne)
Maplewood Public Library, Hilton Branch
Millville Public Library
Mountain Lakes YMCA
Newark Museum
Ocean County Library System, Stafford Branch (Manahawkin)
Otto Bruyns Public Library (Northfield)
Roselle Public Library
Secaucus Public Library
Wildwood Elementary School (Mountain Lakes)

Maplewood Public Library, NJ Makers Day, 2017.

“NJ Makers Day recognizes the importance of strengthening community efforts to bring hands-on STEM and making experiences to residents of all ages across our state,” said Doug Baldwin, President of NJ Makers Day. “Through these mini-grants, made possible by PSEG and the New Jersey State Library, we are making a firm commitment to allocate additional resources to communities across New Jersey to enhance opportunities to learn, engage, and explore in these areas. We believe that supporting and providing community-wide education opportunities in these areas can have a tremendous impact on residents of all ages.”

Applicants were encouraged to apply for funds that can be utilized for materials, speakers/trainers or professional development as part of events scheduled as part of New Jersey Makers Day, to be held March 9-10, 2018 at locations across the state. Priority was placed on those proposals that focused on community partnerships, as well as those events that showed a capacity for future programming and increased the geographic and overall diversity of NJMD locations. It was stressed that event descriptions should be creative and appeal to the mission of NJMD. Each site awarded grant funding has agreed to submit feedback and statistical reports for there 2018 events to the NJMD Executive Board.

Funding for New Jersey Makers Day grants would not be possible without the support of the PSEG Foundation and the NJ State Library. More information about local programming, including those of the awardees of the 2018 grant, can be found throughout the year at the NJMD website, https://njmakersday.org.

# # #

About NJ Makers Day

New Jersey Makers Day began in 2015 to enhance community engagement and develop connections among New Jersey residents by collaborating with multi-type libraries, museums, small businesses and other organizations to promote and explore new opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation and hands-on learning experiences. In 2016, New Jersey Makers Day was expanded to be a two-day event. New Jersey Makers Day is now an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation and a registered New Jersey Charity, thereby able to accept tax-deductible donations to grow the event across the state.