New Jersey After 3 Celebrates 5 Years of Leadership In
Expanded Learning Time
Newark, NJ – New Jersey After 3, a state-wide nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding and improving afterschool opportunities for New Jersey’s youth, will mark their Fifth Anniversary on Monday, April 27, 2009. The celebration will be held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and will recognize two notable guests of honor for the instrumental roles they played in the organization’s founding and overall success. The 2009 Honorees are PSEG and Ralph Izzo, Chairman & CEO, and Troy Vincent, 5-time NFL Pro-Bowler and former President of the NFL Players Association.
Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells will provide a speech on behalf of the State during student performances, and Douglas Kennedy, President of Capital One Bank, will be the event Chair with Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker as Honorary Event Chair.
Mayor Booker commented, “Statewide, across urban, rural and suburban communities, New Jersey After 3 is transforming afterschool time into a forum where children develop the skills and positive relationships that promote high school graduation and success in the 21st century. The innovative public/private partnerships created by New Jersey After 3 are especially powerful and relevant in these economic times; measurable results are achieved at costs that are less than half the industry average. New Jersey After 3 is truly a precious state and city asset.”
Founded in 2004, New Jersey After 3 is the nation's first nonprofit public/private partnership of its kind; dedicated to expanding afterschool opportunities for New Jersey’s children. Its statewide network consists of more than 40 non-profit agencies and 100 schools throughout urban, rural and suburban communities, working collaboratively to expand learning time for 14,000 children each year. New Jersey After 3 provides critical guidance and support to its program partners; identifies and implements effective curricula; provides training and modeling of best practices; and ensures sustainable afterschool funding and accountability across the entire State of New Jersey.
New Jersey After 3 programs ensure working parents and schools have the critical support they need by expanding learning time. An external evaluation of New Jersey After 3 demonstrates that it is an effective strategy in bolstering student achievement in the classroom. New Jersey After 3 is also proving to be a critical asset in the state’s plans to reduce criminal and gang-related behaviors, childhood obesity, and high school dropout rates – saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
In addition to spotlighting key contributors to New Jersey After 3, the Gala will highlight the growing body of research that demonstrates the effectiveness of high-quality afterschool programs and the urgent need for more programs throughout the state and nation. In New Jersey, only 12% of the state’s 1.5 million school-aged children have access to afterschool programs. And according to the Afterschool Alliance, a national advocacy group for the field, more than 23% of these children are left unsupervised afterschool each day. A February 2009 quality of life poll conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute also revealed that 9 out of 10 New Jersey citizens feel that access to high quality afterschool programs is important, with 67% stating such access is “very important”.
Mark Valli, President & CEO of New Jersey After 3, shared, “As the first statewide organization of its kind, New Jersey After 3 provides an effective model that demonstrates how public/private partnerships can support high-quality afterschool programs that keep kids safe, support student achievement, and promote positive youth development. It’s exciting to be celebrating our fifth anniversary at a time when our nation is examining expanded learning time as a strategy that not only supports hard working families, but positions kids for success in school and the 21st century workforce.”
For more event information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jenn Shetsen at (908)322-1100.
For more information on New Jersey After 3, please contact Shannon Boehmer (267)241-5824 or visit www.njafter3.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 13, 2009
CONTACT:
Shannon Boehmer
New Jersey After 3
(267) 241-5824
sboehmer@njafter3.org
Jenn Shetsen
New Jersey After 3
908-322-1100
jshetsen@evergreenpr.com |
