The New Jersey State Bar Foundation (NJSBF), the educational and charitable wing of the New Jersey State Bar Association, recently welcomed two new staff members.

The NJSBF is the state's leading provider of free programs on civics, anti-violence and law-related programs for the public, and has trained thousands of educators.

Jessica Taube, director of conflict resolution and anti-bias initiatives, will continue the NJSBF's mission and provide training to New Jersey educators in workshops in nine programs that cover a wide variety of anti-violence/ anti-bias topics.

Educators attended about 114 workshops over the past fiscal year. Some of the school-based program topics included conflict resolution, peer mediation, the role of the school climate team, social emotional character development, Holocaust education, unconscious bias, talking about race, and teaching African American history through an anti-bias lens.

Taube has a background in social work and extensive experience working in leadership positions with youth, families, educators and communities in high schools and nonprofit organizations. She previously was co-executive director of an adolescent respite center and community school director for Make the Road New York.

Nicole Crippen joined the NJSBF as the digital marketing associate, and will help spread the word about the Foundation's work. She previously was the marketing assistant at Rutgers University's office of student accounting, billing and cashier services. A graduate of Rutgers, Crippen earned a degree in communications with a minor in digital communications, information and media studies.