New Jersey After 3 Featured as a Vital Solution at the New Jersey High School Graduation Campaign Summit
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – October 6, 2009 – New Jersey After 3 was featured among the best practices outlined at today’s New Jersey High School Graduation Campaign Summit, held at the Hyatt Hotel in New Brunswick, NJ. The statewide network of afterschool programs committed to expanding learning time for thousands of New Jersey’s youth was positioned as a critical support in driving student achievement, and keeping kids safe and positively engaged in respective schools and communities.
Today’s summit was the culmination of a year long effort by the various public and private stakeholders in support of the national America’s Promise Campaign to prevent students from dropping out of school. The purpose of the summit was to share information gathered over the past year, and to put forth recommended strategies and best practices across the state. Participating dignitaries included Governor Jon S. Corzine, New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgrim, State Education Commissioner Lucile Davey, NYU professor, Pedro Nogeura and Dennis Bone, President & CEO of Verizon, NJ.
New Jersey After 3’s afterschool programs, which support over 12,000 students in over 100 schools statewide, were explicitly mentioned by State officials as important contributors to effective dropout prevention. Mark Valli, President & CEO of New Jersey After 3 stated, “Increasing access to high-quality afterschool programs is a necessary strategy in the broader effort to address the devastating high school dropout rate in New Jersey. By expanding learning time with 3 additional hours of high-quality educational activities, New Jersey After 3 has demonstrated (through a recent longitudinal study) that students are getting better grades, enjoying their school experience more, and in turn, are more determined to graduate high school on time. The rippling effect of expanded learning time is significant, and the impact that afterschool programs are having on the frequency of high school drop outs is immediate.”
For more information on New Jersey’s High School Graduation campaign, please visit: www.njgraduation.org or for more information on New Jersey After 3, please visit www.njafter3.org or contact Shannon Boehmer at 732-246-7981 or sboehmer@njafter3.org
|
 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 6, 2009
CONTACT:
Shannon Boehmer
New Jersey After 3
(267) 241-5824
sboehmer@njafter3.org
|
