On Thursday, April 26, 2018, the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) gathered clergy members at Pillar College for the Inaugural Interfaith College Seminar: Exploring Newark’s College-Going Culture. The half-day seminar, which was co-sponsored by the City of Newark, The Positive Community Magazine, and Pillar College, introduced faith leaders from various Christian denominations and the Muslim community to the citywide mission of building Newark’s college-going culture.
Housed at Rutgers University-Newark’s Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, NCLC is working to ensure that all Newark residents have the opportunity, information, and access to go to college, afford college, complete college, and ultimately obtain good jobs. During the Seminar, clergy received resources to bring back to their communities, including supports available for high school students and adult learners, as well as information for financing a college education. NCLC’s higher education partners NJIT, Berkeley College, Pillar College, Rutgers University-Newark, and Essex County College were among those present to provide resources and answer questions.
At the close of the Seminar, representatives from each house of worship took a pledge to serve as an NCLC ambassador, bringing tools for college success to their community and sharing the mission of NCLC widely. NCLC and its co-sponsors look forward to future events to further engage Newark’s interfaith community and continue to reach more Newark residents.