Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC)

NCLC, the city's post-secondary education collaborative, has added new staff and programming over the last year. It welcomed its inaugural executive director, Reggie Lewis, in Oct. 2016, and a new director of strategy in March 2017, Chirag Menon. NCLC also launched two new college access and success programs in January funded by the Kresge and Ford foundations.

The Kresge-funded program engages students beginning in 10^th grade in bi-monthly and summer sessions focused on arts training and college knowledge. Starting with 150 students, this program will support 600 students over four years. The Ford-funded program will engage 200 students (including youth who aren't currently in school or working) over two years, also beginning in the 10^th grade with a social justice and college readiness curriculum. In addition, NCLC has forged a great relationship with the Newark Public Schools (NPS), providing training to the guidance counselors for the first time, hiring a new data director to help produce the first annual impact report, and helping NPS sponsor the first citywide college fair in over seven years, where 600 high school students learned about more than 40 colleges and universities.

Finally, NCLC is working closely with a new Higher Education Liaison, who reports to both NPS and NCLC to help create a college-going culture for students and their families in Newark's public high schools. 

Written by:  Dale Anglin