Hundreds of NJIT Students to Help Newark Teachers Prepare for School Year

Written by: Deric Raymond
Published: Wednesday, August 29, 2018
An NJIT student helps maintain a Newark community garden
PRESS RELEASE
Contact Information: Media Relations, mediarelations@njit.edu or 973-642-7042

Hundreds of NJIT Students to Help Newark Teachers Prepare for School Year 1000+ Participate in NJIT’s First Year Day of Service Across Essex County

NEWARK, N.J., Aug. 29, 2018 — More than 1,000 incoming freshmen at New Jersey Institute of Technology will provide service to community agencies, including assisting Newark teachers as they prepare for the opening of the 2018-2019 school year, as part of NJIT’s First Year Day of Service on Thursday, Aug. 30. In addition to supporting the Newark Public School system, NJIT students will travel to food banks, childcare learning centers, rehabilitation clinics and public parks to lend a helping hand.

NJIT students will be at the Bessie Mae Women and Family Health Center, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, the Fairmount Heights Neighborhood Association, the Catholic Charities Immigration Assistance Program, the Grace West Manor Senior Tower and Children’s Community Center, the Greater Newark Conservatory, the Job Haines Home, Jersey Cares—Care of the Park, the Unified Vailsburg Services Organization, St. John’s Soup Kitchen, the Urban League of Essex County, the South Mountain Conservancy, Seamen’s Church, and Rebuilding Together, as well as the following schools:

  • Abington Avenue School
  • Avon Avenue School
  • Barringer High School
  • Belmont Runyon Community School
  • First Avenue School
  • Lincoln School
  • Luis Muñoz Marin School
  • Malcolm X Shabazz High School
  • Roberto Clemente Elementary School
  • Speedway Academy
  • Sussex Avenue School
  • KIPP NJ Life Academy
  • KIPP NJ Spark Academy
  • University Heights Charter School

NJIT President Joel S. Bloom and Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger León will join students and new Principal Naseed Gifted (a 2001 electrical engineering graduate of NJIT) at Malcolm X Shabazz High School at 10 a.m.

“Community service is a critical component of our mission at NJIT, and this day of service is representative of the great partnership we have achieved with Mayor Ras J. Baraka,” said Bloom. “For the last six years, NJIT has engaged first-year, incoming students with the community through a day of service that has strengthened our university’s relationship with the city of Newark and its residents. This day provides an opportunity to foster meaningful relationships between students and community partners while creating a learning opportunity that demonstrates the value of community service.”

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is the greatest producer of technological talent and knowledge in New Jersey and is a nexus of innovation — a physical and intellectual focal point for innovative ideas, actions, and people. NJIT is the only public university in New Jersey and one of only 54 universities nationally to receive a five-star rating in Money’s annual best colleges list. The New York Times college ranking tool rates NJIT No. 1 nationally among all public universities when you prioritize high alumni earnings, economic mobility, and academic profile. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal ranks NJIT No. 26 nationally for alumni salaries, No. 30 for upward mobility and No. 50 for value. NJIT also is among the top 2% of universities for alumni earnings, according to PayScale.com, and is ranked No. 23 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College, in addition to being rated among the top 50 public national universities and top 100 overall by U.S. News & World Report. NJIT also is the only polytechnic university that is an R1 (highest level) Carnegie Classification research university and is designated both an Asian-American and Hispanic serving institution.