In celebration of Black History Month, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and NJEA have partnered to promote its support for black culture and social justice through a reading rewards and essay contest. As a part of the MAAC’s initiative, they have created the “Time Out for Black Lives” online platform which features video recordings of the Conference’s head basketball coaches and players reading hand-selected books bringing attention to the greatest of black culture. This is also a part of the NJEA’s Read Across New Jersey program.
Through this partnership, the MAAC and NJEA are encouraging students of New Jersey public schools to engage with the “Time Out for Black Lives” platform and support these initiatives with the opportunity to be selected to attend the MAAC Men’s Basketball semifinals at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Friday, March 10.
To participate in the contest, entries will be divided into two age categories:
Elementary & Intermediate (Grades 4-8) – Quizzes:
Students should watch the online “Time Out for Black Lives” videos for the following books and complete the quiz located here: Elementary/Level 1.
Intermediate/Level 2. Please be sure to complete and include all contact information on the form with submitted quiz answers.
High School (Grades 9-12) – Essay
Students should research social justice and interview representatives from their school or community and share what it means to them in essay form. Encourage them to share ways that they can contribute to the progress of social justice. Essay must be typed, double-spaced and should not exceed 500 words. Please be sure to complete and include all contact information on this form with submitted quiz.
Contest Entry Period
All quiz forms and essays must be submitted via mail (postmarked by Friday, Feb. 17) or email (sent by Friday, Feb. 17 @ 11:59pm ET) to be eligible for contest prize.
Send entries to mbarnes@njea.org with “MAAC Contest” in the subject line.
Send entries to:
MAAC Contest
Meredith Barnes
c/o NJEA
PO Box 1211
Trenton, NJ 08607-1211
Contest Winners
All entries submitted before Feb. 17 deadline will be judged by a panel comprised of NJEA members. Winners from both age categories will be notified by Feb. 26. The selected winners will receive the following:
- Invitation for two (2) to the MAAC Men’s Basketball Tournament semi-finals on Friday, March 10 (includes two games, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City
- One (1) Reserved Parking Pass
- Student to be recognized on court during the 6 p.m. game
We thank you for your interest in supporting this initiative and encourage you to continue to engage with the “Time Out for Black Lives” online portal.
Learn more about the Metro Atlantic.