Rutgers University is looking for young adults to gather friends to discuss NJ's future...and they'll pay for the food!

Set the Table! is a cool new initiative by Rutgers University and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) that’s aimed at getting young adults involved in a stimulating discussion about the future of New Jersey.

Rutgers’ Voorhees Transportation Center has teamed up with the NJTPA to create and launch Set the Table! They are seeking young adults ages 18-29 to host dinner parties or gatherings of friends to discuss their priorities for New Jersey’s future.

It’s all part of the outreach effort for NJTPA’s long-range transportation plan. Set the Table! offers a fun, casual and social approach to encourage younger adults to contribute to the NJTPA’s planning and decision-making.

Interested young adults apply to participate via an online form. Rutgers and the NJTPA will then select 20-25 participants to receive a stipend to pay for food and necessities to host a social gathering of 8-10 peers to discuss several topics related to long-term planning for northern New Jersey. Topics include: the economy, environment, transportation, technology innovation, safety, resiliency, and community. In exchange, participants will report back their key ideas and suggestions for input into the plan, which guides how the NJTPA’s allocates federal transportation funding for the region.

In addition to the stipend, host participants will receive a “To Go Box” kit with question cards, interesting facts and other tools to help engage their guests in meaningful (and fun!) conversation.

Rutgers and the NJTPA are recruiting now for Set the Table! Anyone interested needs to apply by March 1, 2017 at vtc.rutgers.edu/SettheTable. Participants will be asked to host their dinner parties during the spring of 2017.

Check out the website: vtc.rutgers.edu/SettheTable