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Union County Students Kick Off 2015 with New “Donate to Educate” Campaign

UC STEP campaign, Union County NJThe Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce “Donate to Educate,” a new countywide community service campaign developed entirely by a group of high school students representing all parts of Union County.

The 21 students in the group came together as participants in the second annual Union County Student Training and Enrichment Program (UC STEP) for high school students, held last December.

“UC-STEP is designed to provide our future leaders with a chance to collaborate and engage the entire Union County community in pursuit of leadership skills, personal growth and civic engagement,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh. “On behalf of the Freeholder Board I’d like to thank all 192 students who participated enthusiastically in the second annual UC STEP summit.”

As a highlight of each UC STEP summit, groups of participants develop proposals for a countywide civic engagement project. The winning project is selected by popular vote on the UC STEP website, ucnj2.org/uc-step. The students then work with the Freeholder Board and other community organizations to plan, implement, and publicize the campaign.

Of the more than 3,200 votes tallied, the Light Blue team received the most. The team’s “Donate to Educate” campaign will kick off in the coming months. Donate to Educate will enlist schools all over Union County to serve as collection points for school supplies to help students in need.

UC STEP is a youth development program initiated by Freeholder Linda Carter during her term as Chairman in 2013. The program is designed to bring students together from all walks of life, and provide them with an opportunity to work with the Freeholder Board to enlist their fellow Union County residents in a common goal.

“The students involved in the first UC STEP campaign, Support 4 Soldiers, did a great job of enabling Union County residents to connect with members of the military who are serving overseas,” said Jalloh. “The Freeholder Board looks forward to helping ensure a successful campaign for Donate to Educate, too.”

Details on how to contribute to Donate to Educate will be available soon.

For more information about UC-STEP, and to view a video explaining the Donate to Educate campaign, visit ucnj2.org/uc-step or call the Union County Department of Economic Development, 908-527-4103.

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