You don’t need to be a math wiz to know that 15% off a college education is a heck of a deal.
In a new partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County (BGCHC), New Jersey City University (NJCU) is offering just that for members who complete special programming at the club, attend NJCU and remain in good academic standing.
“This unique partnership is at the heart of honoring our institutional responsibility to the community that we are privileged to serve,” said NJCU Interim President Andrés Acebo. “Too often, for both social and systemic reasons, young people’s promise is dimmed. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County is a source of light in these students’ lives and for their families, and we have an opportunity here to brighten that light even more.”
The partnership, announced Monday with the signing of a memorandum of understanding, is aimed at empowering underserved and underrepresented students to pursue post-secondary education, including peer mentorship opportunities.
The joint effort will promote educational opportunities, social and economic mobility, and conscious and engaged citizenship for Hudson County students, as well as focus on initiatives to facilitate pathways toward pursuing a college education at NJCU.
The programs offered by BGCHC will focus on peer mentorship, pre-college programming which will expose local students to college life, career exploration, and skill-building workshops.
NJCU’s Men of Color Initiative members will serve as peer mentors to BGCHC participants by providing academic guidance, personal support, and leadership development. BGCHC participants will also have access to NJCU’s Pre-College: GEAR UP College Bound Program, designed to enhance college readiness through academic enrichment, test preparation and college application support.
“As a product of Hudson County, this collaboration is personally meaningful, because it was organizations like the Boys and Girls Club that were significant catalysts in my own academic and professional journey,” Acebo said. “We want to empower the students of Hudson County to have the same opportunities for social mobility that we did.”
Regular reviews and assessments will be conducted to measure the partnership’s outcomes and impact on underserved and underrepresented students.
“I’d like to thank President Acebo and NJCU for their partnership that extends valuable resources to our participants,” said Gary Greenberg, CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County. “Our goal is to provide a healthy space where students can enhance their abilities so that they have the greatest chance at success. Higher education is still one of the most impactful ways in which today’s youth can increase their future earning power.”
The news was welcomed by local and statewide leaders from across Hudson County:
- “Education is the cornerstone of a democratic society, and everything we can do to better educate our communities will be a benefit for the future of Jersey City,” said Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. “I’d like to commend President Acebo and Gary Greenberg for taking this principle and walking the walk so that Jersey City’s students have a real option to pursue higher education at a price that won’t saddle them with student debt.”
- “It takes a village to raise strong communities and NJCU along with the Boys and Girls Club have come together to be a great example one should follow,” said state Sen. Angela McKnight, D-Jersey City. “No one exists in a silo and by lifting up the future leaders of our communities in safe environments where they are able to flourish into the best versions of themselves, we create fertile ground for the future of Hudson County.”
- “Hudson County’s students are the future and this partnership is an opportunity-creator for our kids, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy said. “A college education is one of the quickest ways for students to attain gainful employment and higher paying jobs in today’s workforce. By providing support for our kids at an early age we put their future first and encourage them to become leaders wherever they happen to land.”
- “This is a prime example of community partners collaborating to expand opportunities for our youth,” said Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez, D-West New York, a 2004 NJCU graduate. “Such partnerships help us create better pathways to higher education and, ultimately, greater success. As a proud NJCU alum, I commend NJCU and the Boys and Girls Club on these initiatives that empower Black and Brown communities, ensuring they have access to the resources needed to achieve their future success.”