Mercer Council News

Established by Congress in 1961, Poison Prevention Week (held the third week of March every year) aims to raise awareness to poison control centers, the Poison Help Hotline (1-800-222-1222), and lower the incidences of unintentional poisonings. These poisons include and are not limited to animal bites and stings, carbon monoxide, household, and che...

A blog post was written in October 2020 to recognize October as National Eat Better, Eat Together Month. The purpose of National Eat Better, Eat Together Month is to promote healthy eating habits among individuals of all ages. Research shows there are many benefits of families frequently eating dinner together including improved social skills in ch...

In honor of June being National Safety Month, an important safety topic I would like to discuss in this blog pertains to the dangers of drunk driving, drugged driving, and underage drinking. With the official start of summer looming coupled with the anticipation that comes with social isolation lockdown restrictions being eased, people are gearing ...

Mercer Council would like to thank Mercer County and the Park Commission for having Vanessa DeRosa, PYPM Program Coordinator, join them at a Bike Drive they hosted at several locations throughout the county on April 10, 2021. Bicycles were accepted (no matter the condition) and were transported to the Trenton Bike Exchange (located in Ewing, NJ). There, they will be fixed by volunteers and then so...

Mercer Council extends a thank you to all participants who joined us on March 17, 2021 for the Brain Awareness Zoom webinar, “Learn Neuroscience: Alcohol and the Developing Brain”. A special thank you also to Dr. Rola Bekdash from Rutgers University for providing the students an insightful and informative presentation about the inner workings of the human mind and effects of alcohol on the develop...

 Your brain is the command center and boss of your body. It enables you to think, learn, move, create, feel emotions, as well as, controlling every blink, breath, and heartbeat. Please join us for a free virtual Zoom event where you will learn all about the human brain from a neuroscientist, discover what makes it so fascinating, and why it is especially important to protect it as you grow! T...

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we all know that the day of romance is symbolized by hearts. Chocolate boxes, balloons, cards, candles, and much more are formed in the shape of a heart and given as gifts to loved ones on this day. The heart being the symbol of love and passion has existed for a long time in history. Ancient Greek and Roman thinkers, including Aristotle, considered th...

In the Protecting You, Protecting Me program, children learn about the constant communication that happens between the human brain and the rest of the body. They learn that their brain and body send each other messages all day, every day, to keep their body working so they can do everything they are meant to do as human beings. In honor of National Lego day on January 28, 2021, I came up with an i...

In the program I teach called Protecting You, Protecting Me (for children in grades K-5), one of the topics I discuss with students is the reasons for rules and laws. They learn that rules and laws are in place to protect themselves and others (i.e. wearing a helmet to protect the brain), show respect toward others (i.e. being polite), and to show order (i.e. not cutting others while in line at a ...

A special thank you to all who participated in the Healthy Family Food Recipe Submission Contest. Three winners have been selected to receive a $25 ShopRite gift card, a goodie bag filled with Mercer Council giveaway items, and have their recipes featured in an upcoming recipe book. Congratulations Gionna, Vanya, and Isabelle! Your recipes look and sound delicious and are truly a healthy choice fo...

Have a healthy family recipe you think is above the rest? It's time to put it to the test and show others why yours is best! Reminder to all students in grades K-5 that recipe submissions are still being accepted now until November 2, 2020. Students who submit their recipes will receive a goodie bag filled with Mercer Council items and will be automatically entered to win 1 of 3 $25 ShopRite gift ...

Food is an essential element for survival and especially now in these uncertain times, food can increase closeness and unite families and communities through sharing meals together. National Eat Better, Eat Together month serves to promote healthy eating habits among individuals of all ages. The benefits of families who frequently eat dinner together (at least five times per week) include improved...

Sign up today for Protecting You, Protecting Me lessons! Evidence-based alcohol use prevention program for Grades K-5No cost to schoolsVirtual and/or in person instruction availableSample preview virtual lessons available upon request Please visit the following link for more information:  Protecting You, Protecting Me Alcohol Use Prevention Program To inquire more about the program and/or for...

What do trampolines, toy trucks, popsicles, water talkies, earmuffs, and pringles hooks have in common? They were all invented by kids! May is National Inventor's Month! It's time to celebrate creativity and the inventions made by children and adults both in the past and present. Put on your thinking caps and check out the list of resources below dedicated to this topic. You might just discover th...

Tough Times Don't Last, But Tough People Do. As we all are enduring this difficult unprecented time during the COVID-19 pandemic, may the above underlined quote serve as a reminder that this time will pass and we will come out of it stronger than ever. With many unknowns surrounding us along with the stress, fear, and concern that individuals are facing, remembering the inner strengths we each pos...

April is nationally recognized as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the National Safety Council has postponed Distracted Driving Awareness Month to an undetermined date for later this year. Currently, there is less travel on the roadways due to the stay at home order put in place in the efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. Even though Distracted Driving Awar...

How are you spending your time of social distancing? During this time at home in our domains, it is especially important to protect our bodies and brains! Our brains and body can benefit from the following things, try them out and experience the joy it brings!  (Brain craft featured in collage picture courtesy of My Amazing Brain by TeachersPayTeachers website, link below) Check out the follo...

March 16-21, 2020

Our brain is the boss of our body, in charge of everything we do as human beings, and the most important part of our body. These statements are just a few of the many important messages children learn in the Protecting You, Protecting Me alcohol use prevention program delivered by Mercer Council. Our brain is so important, it has a whole week dedicated to it! Brain Awareness week was introduced in...

A new drunk driving law is in effect that will require convicted first time offenders with a legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 to install ignition interlock devices as a means to stop them from driving while intoxicated. The new law also applies to individuals who refuse to provide a breath test after they are pulled over. Individuals convicted of drunk driving will be required to blo...

Successful Year for Protecting You, Protecting Me!

The 2018-2019 school year has concluded, and the Protecting You, Protecting Me (PYPM) alcohol use prevention program for grades K-5 was delivered to students at Washington Elementary School in Trenton, NJ. Over 300 students participated in PYPM, and all grades K-5 were reached! Thank you to all the staff and students who welcomed me into their school to provide this beneficial program! When asked ...

 The Superbowl is approaching, and along with the hype of the anticipated game, comes the excitement associated with the Superbowl commercials that will be aired during the broadcast. Companies will use creative means to present their products and services in the hopes that consumers will buy and utilize them. Many children and teenagers will view these commercials and therefore, it is import...

As the start to the new school year approaches, it is important to ensure all children are buckled up, seated properly in vehicles, and are aware what to do to protect themselves if they ever find themselves riding in a vehicle with an unsafe driver. The image below contains safe riding tips for children. In the event a child finds him or herself riding with an unsafe driver, it is crucial to tell...