by Chanel L. Donaldson | Nov 7, 2017 | News1
“We have smart children in Newark. We just need a few more resources and the belief that we can all succeed.”
With those words, Kim Boerrigter, 2017 graduate of Malcom X. Shabazz High School, Harvard University Class of 2021, summed up both Newark’s potential and the challenges the city must overcome so that her success becomes the rule, not the exception.
Recent progress provides hope. In just a few years, the Newark Public Schools’ high school graduation rate rose to 73% from 53%. And more graduates are being accepted to college: 75% of the class of 2017 gained admission to a two- or four-year institution, including Kim and six of her classmates who entered Ivy League institutions this fall.
Still, more work is needed for Newark to approach New Jersey’s statewide graduation rate of 90%. This is the mission of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC), which works with the school system, businesses, community organizations, and other partners to build the citywide college-going culture that is crucial to more students enjoying success.
A college-going culture means an environment where every child, regardless of neighborhood, zip code, or high school, is expected to come to school, do well in school, and adequately prepare to succeed at the college level.
The Newark Public Schools and NCLC work together in a range of activities aimed at reaching this goal:
- College Talk– daily conversations in schools to help students understand what’s required to stay on track to graduate and on a path that leads to college
- Expectations– all students are expected to achieve at a high level, with explicit goals for preparation clearly laid out for students and parents
- Key Resources– up-to-date information about colleges and other post-high school options, like high-quality certification programs, are easily available to all students
A newly created NCLC/NPS position, the Higher Education Liaison, is solely focused on providing students, parents, guidance counselors, teachers, and administrators information and resources related to college that many promising students never obtained before. The partnership with NPS has led to the sponsorship of an annual district-wide college fair, where students and families meet representatives from colleges from around the country. The fair also helps raise awareness and encourage aspirations toward college. The second annual fair, which took place last month, enabled hundreds of students from around the city, including district, charter, county vocational, and parochial, to explore their options beyond high school.
The College Fair is just one way NCLC and NPS provide students and families information needed to make informed decisions about applying to college, financial assistance, and securing a degree or high-quality credential. This past summer, Rutgers University-Newark and eight other colleges joined NCLC in hosting a series of college knowledge workshops around the city, “Secrets to College Admissions,” designed to demystify what can appear as a challenging admissions and financial aid process, particularly the completion of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Newark’s FAFSA completion rate of 47% underscores the difficulties faced by many families in taking advantage of this resource.
Early college planning is essential for overcoming barriers to college enrollment and completion. Research confirms that having college plans by 10th grade increases the likelihood of attending college by 21%, compared to plans developed during the senior year. Recognizing this, NCLC’s College Pathway Initiative engages students early, while supporting their academic and social-emotional needs. Two-hundred 10th graders, along with young people who have dropped out of school and want to reengage, participate in the initiative.
As promising as these efforts are, establishing a college-going culture in Newark will not happen overnight. Building on progress to date will require the involvement of everyone in the community. With more of our students graduating from high school and ultimately securing a degree or credential, more Newark residents will be able to get good jobs, support their families, and build a future in a thriving city.
by Chanel L. Donaldson | Sep 15, 2017 | News1
This summer, the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) hosted “Secrets to College Admissions: What You Wish They Told You about College!” a five-session series of college knowledge workshops held in local library branches in each ward of the city. The series was co-sponsored by the Newark Public Library, the City of Newark, Newark Public Schools, and all of NCLC’s higher education partners: Essex County College, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Pillar College, Bloomfield College, Rutgers University-Newark, Berkeley College, Felician University, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and Montclair State University.
Inspired by Rutgers University-Newark’s “Road Map to College,” each session covered tips, tricks, and resources to help Newarkers understand how to apply to and finance college. The series kicked off in the South Ward at the Weequahic Branch on July 18, 2017. Through August 8, 2017, the session moved to different neighborhood branches in each ward and was presented by a team of admissions and financial aid representatives from one of the sponsoring colleges.
The final culminating celebration took place on August 16, 2017, at the Main Newark Public Library located in the heart of Newark’s downtown. Attendees from the previous sessions were invited back to the culminating celebration which included a deep dive into financial aid by Rutgers University-Newark called “Debunking Myths about Financial Aid,” part of a wellness series created to demystify the perceived idea that college is not affordable. The session was immediately followed by a mini-college fair with all sponsoring colleges on hand to share their specific resources.
NCLC is an ambitious effort to help Newark become a more economically vibrant city by increasing the number of residents that have education or training beyond high school. Working with a cross-section of partners throughout the city, NCLC aims to increase Newark’s post-secondary attainment rate from the current 18.1 percent to 25 percent by 2025.
“We’re working to expand the college-going culture throughout the city,” says NCLC Executive Director Reginald Lewis. “We want to make sure that every resident in Newark receives the information and knowledge needed to make informed decisions about choosing a college.”
Secrets to College Admissions was created to support the expansion of Newark’s college-going culture. The series was intentionally crafted to be as accessible and inclusive as possible, by bringing resources to residents where they live. One session, held in the East Ward at the Van Buren Branch, was presented in both English and Spanish.
“Our libraries are a critical community resource, accessible to anyone throughout the city at our Main Library and seven branches. We understand the critical importance of partnering with other institutions to help make college more accessible to all Newarkers and we are proud to play a part in this important initiative,” says Newark Public Library Director Jeffrey Trzeciak.
Approximately 120 Newark youth, parents, and prospective college students participated in the summer series, gaining valuable insight on how to apply to any college, as well as the tools and resources needed to help them finance a college education. Attendees were able to ask questions related to their specific needs and many walked away with resources they didn’t even know existed.
“The Secrets to College Admissions series is a great opportunity for Newark residents to get an ‘inside look’ at admissions and financial aid,” stated Dr. David Williams, Director of Admissions at Rutgers University-Newark. “The program’s design affords us an opportunity to have a real conversation about admissions and financial aid that ‘demystifies’ what can be a challenging process. In the end, it seems that our attendees really benefit from the session, and that they have a little more relief and less stress about how to move forward in the college search process.”
Natalia Morisseau, Director of the Office of Financial Aid at Rutgers University-Newark said, “What we have consistently learned is that the financial aid process is not an easy one. The overall goal of ‘Debunking Myths’ is to foster an interactive and open dialogue with families and students about the importance of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in a timely manner, which continues to be one of the most powerful and instrumental steps in aligning students with the best financial opportunities for college success.”
NCLC looks to continue to build on the success of the Secrets to College Admissions series, providing as much college knowledge as possible to Newark residents in a way that is easily accessible. Conversations are currently underway to ensure that Secrets to College Admissions touches all of Newark’s high school aged population, as well as their parents, and any Newark resident interested in starting or continuing their college education.
Kei-Sygh Thomas, a Newark native and current student at Drew University who shared a few words of encouragement with attendees at the series’ culminating event, encapsulated the importance of Secrets to College Admissions perfectly when she said, “Sometimes students feel like college is out of their reach because they don’t know how to navigate the process, especially financial aid. The process is overwhelming and low-income students in particular psych themselves out because they do not have the knowledge or do not have the means to pay for school. A college success series like the one hosted by NCLC is significant in promoting college access and knowledge to help students and assure them that higher education is a feasible and attainable goal.”
by Carla Capizzi | Apr 21, 2017 | News1
The Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC), in partnership with the Newark Public Schools (NPS), hosted the first annual District-Wide College Fair for NPS high school students and their parents at the Rutgers University-Newark Golden Dome Athletic Center earlier this month.
More than 600 NPS students, ranging from grades 9 through 12, from high schools throughout the city, had the opportunity to interact with college admissions representatives from around the country. Nearly 40 colleges and universities participated, including Centenary College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Montclair State University, Morgan State University, Pennsylvania State University, Clark Atlanta University, Harvard University, Princeton University, the United States Naval Academy, University of Pittsburgh, and several community colleges and vocational programs. Several branches of the United States Armed Forces and Wells Fargo Bank also participated.
Throughout the day, students from 9th to 12th grade were able to meet face-to-face with various college representatives to ask questions about each program.
NCLC is an ambitious effort to help Newark become a more economically vibrant city by increasing the number of residents that have education or training beyond high school. Working with a cross-section of 60 partners throughout the city, NCLC aims to increase Newark’s post-secondary attainment rate from the current 18.1 percent to 25 percent by 2025.
“We’re working to expand the college-going culture throughout the city,” says NCLC Executive Director Reginald Lewis. “We want to make sure that every student in Newark receives the information and knowledge needed to make informed decisions about choosing a college.”
“College and career readiness opportunities allow our students, who have a multitude of interests and wide-range of goals, to be proactive and plan a meaningful future for themselves,” said Christopher D. Cerf, superintendent of Newark Public Schools. “Thanks to the strong partnerships that have developed between NPS, the Newark City of Learning Collaborative and others, students across our city are able to explore the many collegiate and professional opportunities that are available in order to successfully compete in a 21st century global economy.”
“It is exhilarating that hundreds of high school students engaged in gathering information, conversing with university representatives, and taking a very proactive part in determining their own futures. These students will go to college, and hopefully many of them will go to college in Newark,” stated Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, whose office co-sponsored the fair. “We also expect that many of them will return to Newark after college with additional skills and knowledge to help improve our city.
“I wish to thank NCLC, the Newark Public Schools, the Newark Municipal Council and the five Newark-based colleges that co-sponsored this successful college fair for Newark students,” said Baraka. The college sponsors were the five NCLC higher education partners: Essex County College, Pillar College, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Bloomfield College, and Rutgers University-Newark.
Photo by Brian Ray
https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/nclc-college-fair-connects-newark-st…
