New Jersey City University and A. Harry Moore Laboratory School are continuing a relationship that spans six decades with the launch of the A. Harry Moore School Life Independence and Future Transitions (LIFT) program at NJCU’s Grossnickle Hall. A grand-opening ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in late October on the NJCU campus.

With this announcement, NJCU has remodeled the first floor of Grossnickle Hall on campus to expand and further the relationship between the university and the special needs school. Grossnickle Hall is located adjacent to AHM across the street along John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City.

The newly renovated 12,326 square-foot area features five specialty rooms including a culinary arts room and a consumer and family science room, where students can practice real-life and independent living skills.

The facility also provides adaptive physical education, career technical education, a school store where the program’s students will work to gain practical skills and community-based instruction opportunities in Jersey City and on the NJCU campus. Topping it off are four other general classrooms.

The LIFT program launched with 37 students and is expected to have up to 48 this school year with potential growth to 60 students during the 2025-26 academic year.

During the ceremony, NJCU Interim President Andrés Acebo and Jason Jusino, the principal at A Harry Moore, introduced the program and made remarks.

“I am filled with pride to say that through our commitment to A. Harry Moore School, we are celebrating a bold, new step forward in our partnership,” said Acebo. “This work represents our collective vision and is proof that when we work together we can turn challenges into triumphs and risks into renewed commitments. The LIFT program embodies the spirit of NJCU’s near century-old promise to our community: a promise to stand with, fight for and lift each other. Together, we are building a foundation that will support generations of students, families, and communities to come.”

“…the A. Harry Moore Laboratory School’s LIFT program at Grossnickle Hall … represents a transformative partnership between sending school districts and NJCU that empowers young individuals with special needs to unlock their potential and embrace the future with confidence,” said Jusino. “Together, we’re not just providing skills; we’re cultivating independence and fostering a community where every student can thrive.”

The ceremony was attended by the school’s students, teachers, members of the Jersey City Public School District and NJCU leadership and key stakeholders including New Jersey State Sen. Angela McKnight, Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato and Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea, Jersey City Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey and Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh.

The LIFT program at Grossnickle Hall will serve students with special needs ages 15 to 21 by helping them find secure employment, further their educational pursuits and learn independent living skills and confidence in daily life.

AHM offers academic, therapeutic, pre-vocational and social programs for students ages three to 21 classified as Preschool Disabled, Learning and Language Disabled, ABA classes for students with Autism and Multiply Disabled. The school, which celebrated its centennial in 2021, serves up to 140 students.

Source: https://www.nj.com/hudson/2024/11/new-partnership-between-njcu-and-a-harry-moore-school-to-boost-independence-for-special-needs-students.html