New Hampshire’s Super Secret Project will help Stay Work Play, Inc. kick off their website launch party and college tour, sponsored by Citizens Bank.  The event, which is free to the public, will be held at Boynton’s Taproom in Manchester on Thursday, October 7, 2010. 

The kickoff event will feature a live performance of the New Hampshire-themed music video “Granite State of Mind” by the Super Secret Project. Invited dignitaries include Governor John Lynch and Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas. In addition, there will be ample networking opportunities with young professionals and leaders from across the state.

“We believe that a bank should contribute to the growth and vibrancy of its communities, said Cathleen A. Schmidt, president of Citizens Bank.  “We are excited to partner with Stay Work Play to help encourage more college students to stay, work and play in New Hampshire after graduation.  The Stay Work Play website features all of the opportunities that the granite state has to offer to the young workforce today and serves as a reliable networking portal.”

Planned for the fall and winter, the college campus tour will bring entertainment to a few New Hampshire college campuses to engage students and encourage them to use the Stay Work Play web site at www.stayworkplay.org and organization as a resource for launching a career in New Hampshire.  Stay Work Play is rapidly building a following on Facebook and Twitter and traffic has been building steadily since the beta launch of the site over the summer. The Stay Work Play website includes hundreds of links to other websites, as well as information, photos, and content that is divided into sections that relate to staying, working, and playing in New Hampshire. Special features include linkages to all of the young professionals networks across the state, to Facebook and Twitter feeds, a living index, and resources regarding jobs in the state, housing, events, and activities.
 
“As an organization, we have some great momentum right now and really look forward to the launch party, college road trip, and gaining more feedback so we can make the Stay Work Play website and other outreach efforts as effective and meaningful as possible,” said Chris Williams, co-chair of the Stay Work Play Board and President of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce. 

Stay Work Play is a non-profit organization established in 2009 to build off the work of the 55% Initiative, an effort originally launched by the University System of New Hampshire to help encourage more college students to stay work and play in the state after graduation.  The effort gained additional support through the work of the Governor’s Task Force on Young Worker Recruitment and Retention, which recommended the creation of an independent organization to lead an effort to serve younger workers in the state and create a web portal that could serve their informational and networking needs.

Over the next several months, the organization plans to add in a customized events calendar, enhance the job search component, launch a video contest, and assist with an event that will recognize companies and individuals who excel at addressing the needs of younger workers in New Hampshire. 
 
Stay Work Play was incorporated in 2009 by the heads of the University System of NH, the Business and Industry Association of NH, the NH High Tech Council, the NH College and University Council, and the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED).  Its charter partners, Fidelity Investments, Delta Dental, Comcast, SilverTech, and DRED provided initial support to develop the site, and the organization is now supported through sponsors of the website.  More information on the organization and on sponsorship opportunities can be found on the website, www.stayworkplay.org. For details on the event, http://stayworkplay.eventbrite.com, or contact Executive Director, Kate Luczko, kate@stayworkplay.org, (603) 860-2245.