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By BRIDGET SMITH
Courier-Post Staff
Five Camden teens saw more than a month of hard work set sail on the Cooper River Saturday morning.
Three newly built wooden rowboats were launched into the river near the Cooper River Yacht Club, capping a six-week project for the boys, all members of Urban Promise Ministries, a faith-based organization in the city.
“Faith,” “Hope” and “Promise” were the three 12-foot-long vessels built by the teens, who all work in the organization’s Urban Trekkers program.
Surrounded by friends and family on a sunny summer morning, four of the teens — Richard Gaines Jr., Hassan Jackson, Isaiah Morgan and Clarence Porter — loaded their boats into the water, climbed in, and successfully pushed off the dock near the Yacht Club. A fifth teen, Shakeem Cook, could not attend the celebration.
After some initial hesitation while they got the feel for rowing, the teens settled in quickly and spent nearly two hours on the water, giving rides to parents, friends, photographers — whoever wanted to jump in.
Gaines, 16, said it was “incredibly rewarding” to see the boats take shape and, ultimately, do what they were designed to do.
He worked on two of the vessels, and said it took a lot of manual labor, including cutting, measuring and sanding.
“Our motto was, measure twice, and cut once,” he said. “It was crazy.”
And while he said it was sometimes difficult to want to spend hours working on the boats — especially on days when the teens were busy helping to run Urban Promise’s summer camps — the end result made it more than worthwhile.
“They look way better than I thought they would,” he said.
“I feel like I’ve accomplished something in my life.”
Elaine Hawkins, 41, laughed as her son, 14-year-old Clarence Porter, took her out for a quick spin in the boat he helped build.
“I think it’s pretty awesome that he got to do this,” she said. “He’d never done anything like this before.”
The boat-building project began about a month and a half ago, said Jim Cummings, director of Urban Trekkers. The teens met 10 times a week.
Cummings said it was an opportunity for the boys to work together, stay busy, and apply some of the things they’ve learned in school through the years.
“One of these guys gave me the best quote,” Cummings said. “He said, “I guess this is why we need to know math.’”
Each vessel started as four pieces of plywood that were measured, cut down and eventually “sewn” together using nylon ties. A coat of a special glue was applied, and the nylon ties were eventually removed. The boys painted each vessel and chose names for them.
The red boat is “Promise,” named for the organization. “Faith” and “Hope” are blue and green, respectively, named for programs within Urban Promise’s youth summer camps.
Cummings has already sold “Promise” for about $2,500. He hopes to auction off the other two and use the funds for a similar project during the next school year.
Cummings said he hoped the boat-building experience would help the teens build character and confidence, as well.
“They could’ve built anything this summer, but there’s just something cool about having these kids build boats,” he said. “There’s symbolism with a boat. It can take you to places you’ve never been before.”
Reach Bridget Smith at (856) 486-2473 or brksmith@camden.gannett.com
With generous funding from the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, two professors with the Center for Children and Childhood Studies at Rutgers–Camden are working to strengthen communities and the lives of youths in the city. Bill Whitlow, a professor of psychology, is working with the Camden Area Health Education Center to help residents address issues involving air and water quality in their neighborhood. Dan Hart, director of the Center for Children and Childhood Studies and a professor of psychology, is working with two Camden groups to address youth development and health care.
source: http://rujnjpartnership.rutgers.edu/index.shtml#item1
By JOSEPH GIDJUNIS
Courier-Post Staff
The nonprofit arm of the Camden school district is looking for participants and sponsors for the fourth annual golf tournament fundraiser, which provides scholarships for college-bound seniors.
The Camden Board of Education Foundation has expanded its financial goal to $62,500, an increase of $12,500 and five students, over last year’s goals. The increase allows the foundation to compensate for an additional five scholarships for students from Camden’s fifth high school, MetEast, which is graduating its first class of seniors on June 26.
The remaining scholarships are divided evenly over the other four high schools.
“We want to give these kids a financial hand up to go to college,” said Jack Tarditi, president of the foundation. “It’s integral in helping these 25 kids pay for their first year of college.”
Registration for the golf tournament fundraiser begins at 11 a.m. June 24 at the Pennsauken Country Club, on Haddonfield Road.
In addition to college scholarships, the money raised will benefit other cultural activities the school district can’t pay for on its own, said School District spokesman Bart Leff. In the past year, the foundation provided significant funding for the Camden High School Marching Band to compete in Inauguration weekend festivities.
The foundation has also helped refurbish high school football stadium field houses, travel expenses for special groups to see a Guatemalan rain forest, and a trip for a choral competition in Verona, Italy, Leff said.
The golf tournament is expecting former Philadelphia sports icons Bernie Parent, of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Jon Runyan and Irving Fryar, of the Philadelphia Eagles, as honorary chairmen. The Philadelphia Phanatic should also make an appearance, Leff said. There is also a silent auction and award banquet for the students and families.
Sponsorship begins at $250 for an individual, or $2,000 for a team of four. Top level sponsorship extends to $10,000 or $20,000. The overall fundraising goal is $80,000, Leff said.
“We would like to raise as much as possible,” Leff said. “Our game plan is to create an endowment for these activities.”
Tarditi said that he recognizes the hit on families and corporations, but added that he expects that Camden’s loyal community won’t let the children down.
Reach Joseph Gidjunis at (856) 486-2604 or jgidjunis@gannett.com
Additional Facts IF YOU GO
The Camden Board of Education Foundation’s fourth annual golf tournament fundraiser to provide scholarships for college-bound seniors will be at 11 a.m. June 24. The tournament will be at the Pennsauken Country Club on Haddonfield Road. For more information, call Bart Leff at (856) 966-2649 or Jack Tarditi (856) 552-4792.
By LAVINIA DeCASTRO
Courier-Post Staff
The staff at Urban Promise thanks the college students who spend spring break at the nonprofit’s campus on the Camden-Pennsauken border with a barbecue under a banner that reads “I could have gone to Cancun, but God called to Camden instead.”
The nonprofit has made good use of the banner this spring, when Urban Promise hosted more than 200 college students from 18 different schools.
“These are students that, perhaps a lot of their classmates are off to Cancun or Florida to unwind from their studies, but they choose to be here,” said Jim Cummings, Urban Promise’s work group director.
Camden is becoming a spring break destination for students who want to use the time off to help those less fortunate in a city known for a high crime rate and poverty.
“This little city of 80,000 people has a reputation that goes far and wide,” Cummings said.
Last week, Urban Promise had a group of 16 students from two different colleges, the smallest groups of volunteers this spring.
“They come from all over the United States and Canada,” Cummings said. The students spend their time helping maintain the Rudderow Street campus, which houses an elementary school, a high school and several programs after school that serve a combined 500 children.
“It’s the only way that we can do what we do,” Cummings said. “If we were to pay them, even at minimum wage, we’re looking at thousands of dollars.”
Those are dollars the nonprofit uses to run five after-school programs throughout the city.
“For me, it’s really relevant to faith and what I believe in,” said 24-year-old Jason Murray, the campus minister at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va.. “It’s far more meaningful than going to the beach.”
Murray and 20-year-old Nick Palladino, a student at the college, helped renovate the nonprofit Ray Scull Memorial Home, which will house offices and an art studio. They could have done the same type of work in Biloxi, Miss., helping to rebuild areas destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
“I chose to come here because the vision that Urban Promise has, I think, is very compelling,” Murray said. “This is so different than what I’ve ever experienced in a city,” added Palladino.
Some college volunteers returned after graduation to become part of the staff and others have taken the Urban Promise model to Delaware, Toronto, Vancouver, Honduras and Malawi.
Kent Monma, 17, a native of New Zealand and an international student at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, traded traveling for volunteering.
“I thought the people of Camden needed me more than I needed to travel,” Monma said. Kelly Conner, 18, spent time helping the teachers at Urban Promise’s Camden Forward School.
The religion studies and Spanish major learned as much from the students as they learned from her.
“I’m really glad I came,” the Randolph-Macon student said.
“I really had no idea what to expect,” she said. “I’m from a small town and Camden is a neighborhood that I’m not used to. I’ve learned that good things can come from an area like Camden. These are wonderful kids, wonderful people. Camden is not such a bad place if there are people like this.”
Reach Lavinia DeCastro at (856) 486-2652 or ldecastro@courierpostonline.com
Construction project will save and create 275 jobsFurthering his commitment to build infrastructure and improve educational facilities across the state, Governor Jon S. Corzine today joined New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) and Camden School District officials to break ground for the new Morgan Village Middle School. The 520-student school, which will serve children in grades 6-8, is the fifth new project to get under way in Camden under New Jersey’s school construction program.
“We have an obligation to transform every school into a positive learning environment for our children,” Governor Corzine said. “Camden’s students deserve to be educated in safe, modern schools and I am proud that the new Morgan Village Middle School project will deliver those surroundings to them while promoting the city’s revitalization and creating jobs during tough economic times.”
The 92,390-square-foot, two-story middle school will be built on a parcel adjacent to the existing building and marks another step in the redevelopment of Camden and stimulating its economy. The school is scheduled to open in September 2010.
“The Morgan Village Middle School project represents New Jersey’s commitment to provide a quality education for all students, no matter where they live,” said Senator Dana Redd, (D-Camden and Gloucester). “The students of South Camden deserve to learn in a modern, state-of-the-art educational setting which inspires them to achieve their maximum potential. I’d like to thank Governor Corzine and Schools Development Authority Chief Kolluri for their dedication to improving education in Camden and giving students a chance to succeed.”
The SDA has completed two projects in Camden: the Early Childhood Development Center and the Octavious V. Catto Community School. Two other projects, H.B. Wilson and Thomas H. Dudley elementary schools, are scheduled to open this fall.
Camden has three additional projects included in the SDA’s Capital Plan – Camden High School, Lanning Square Elementary School and Pyne Poynt Family School. All told, the SDA has spent or allocated $460 million to date for projects in Camden.
“This school is an anchor in one of the city’s most stable areas and will continue to ensure the vitality of the Morgan Village neighborhood,” said Camden Mayor Gwendolyn Faison.
An effect of the economic downturn has been the savings to taxpayers resulting from greater competition for construction jobs. The contract award of $20,997,000 was $6.1 million, or nearly one-fourth, below the SDA’s construction cost estimate. Another school awarded earlier this year, Egg Harbor City Middle School, came in $2.8 million below estimate.
“This school construction program is important to improving the quality of our children’s lives and will have a profound impact on the economy,” SDA CEO Kris Kolluri said. “In fact, this project will save and create approximately 275 jobs.”
The school construction program received new funding in July 2008 when Governor Corzine signed legislation authorizing $3.9 billion in new funding – $2.9 billion for SDA Districts and $1 billion for Regular Operating Districts.
The SDA will commit $1.3 billion toward school construction this year, which is estimated to save and create 11,000 jobs. The SDA plans to advance 27 projects into preliminary or full construction in 2009. The agency will soon begin to post monthly job creation reports for these projects on their website.
Today’s ceremony marks the SDA’s first groundbreaking of 2009. Sara T. Davis, president of the Camden Board of Education, remarked, “The Morgan Village Middle School will become a beacon for 21st century learning in the South Camden community. It brings innovative instruction and new technology to a local community that has done without for far too long. Morgan Village Middle School will bring new promise and fulfilled dreams for the Board and our children of that area.”
Morgan Village’s construction will be accomplished in two phases. Phase one involves construction of the replacement school. Phase two, which will require procurement of a separate contract, will entail the demolition of the old school to provide for play areas and a parking lot. The second phase will begin after students occupy the new building. Chanree Construction Co. is the general contractor, Fletcher-Thompson Architecture Engineering is the design firm and URS Corporation is the construction management firm.
The school will include general-use classrooms, special-education classrooms, science labs, school-to-career classrooms with labs, small-group instruction
rooms, a media center, a cafeteria with a kitchen, an auditorium and a gymnasium.
Overall the SDA has completed 592 projects: 46 new schools; 41 extensive additions, renovations and/or rehabilitations; three demonstration projects and nearly 400 other projects.
Camden, New Jersey, March 2009 –
Instead of fleeing the dorms, cafeteria food, and schoolwork, eighteen college groups are headed to Camden, NJ to do a different kind of work with UrbanPromise Ministries. From Malibu, CA, to Williamsburg, VA, universities including: Pepperdine University, The College of William and Mary, Bowdoin University, and the University of New England, among others. Over two hundred and twenty students of various backgrounds occupied with all fields of study are coming together over the next six weeks with at least one thing in common; an urge to get involved with service at the grassroots of America—the children being raised amongst some of our countries most dire issues.
UrbanPromise has a clear mission, to build a city of promise, one child at a time. By equipping Camden’s children and young adults with the skills necessary for academic achievement and moreover, life management, UrbanPromise has grown from a tiny summer camp program to a multifaceted institution with a reputation of solidarity and success. Among their many programs are private schools for all ages, after school programs, summer camps, and various other recreational and educational programs, each targeting different parts of the lives of Camden’s youth. College students will have the opportunity to help with and learn about programs in each category.
Students in “Workgroups” will be engaged in a variety of work projects during their week stay in Camden including: maintenance projects on the UrbanPromise campus, tearing out the old floor of a building under renovation, and re-painting busses, to name a few. Oddjobs have piled up over the winter and the staff and youth of UrbanPromise are happy to have a wave of excited and energetic college students to give a hand.
A student reflecting on her time working on a run-down UrbanPromise house “felt like she was actually doing something for Urban[Promise].” Anna, nineteen, from Pepperdine University went on to say, “While I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer at many other non-profit organizations, I’ve never been involved with the real, nitty-gritty grunt work before…it’s been really rewarding so far.”
After children enrolled in UrbanPromise’s many school programs are dismissed to afterschool programs, the workgroups get to jump in and interact with UrbanPromise’s most treasured resource—the children of Camden. Many children stay all the way until six in the evening, giving the students many chances to help out with homework, tutoring, or simply just playing around with the kids. According to Brent Liebman, UrbanPromise Intern Director, between three and six PM are the most dangerous hours for a young person to be left alone in Camden. “WorkGroups are great not only to lend a much needed hand to the staff, but the kids love them.” Andy Joshua, director of AfterSchool Programs went on to say, “Our youth have the opportunity to get to know university students from all across the country…it’s a great way to get kids excited about college!”
At first, Prarna, twenty, from The College of William and Mary, assigned to Ms. Thomas’ “Aftercare” program was skeptical about how much of a difference her presence would actually make to kids whose situations were so unlike her own. “Coming from an affluent area I doubted my skills would be adequate to deal with some of the hardest issues these kids face. I was struck, though, by how quick the kids responded to me and how friendly and open they were after hanging out for only an hour.”
Ms. Thomas noticed it too, and commented that “they want a lot of attention, some of them need it, and don’t have many other places to get it.”
As university students learn about Camden and its people, they will be better able to help. For now, though, their kindness and attention, as explained by Jim Cummings, Director of Work Groups, “is the work of super-heroes.”
CONTACT: Shannon Oberg, Marketing Coordinator UrbanPromise Ministries
(609) 876-9958 www.urbanpromiseusa.org
soberg@urbanpromiseusa.org
Last week, the state launched the New Jersey High School Graduation Campaign, part of a commitment made to former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s organization, America’s Promise Alliance. APA is focused on dropout prevention, and has targeted Camden as one of 50 U.S. cities where dropout prevention is most needed.
On Tuesday, Jon Corzine penned the following editorial for The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Too many young people in New Jersey and the nation are dropping out of school. As former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife, Alma, have pointed out through the America’s Promise Alliance, the organization they founded, the dropout crisis is a “silent epidemic.”
Every 26 seconds, an American student drops out. That’s about 1.1 million young people per year. While estimates vary in New Jersey, one respected organization puts the number at 19,000 dropouts in 2007.
Students who do not graduate are twice as likely to live in poverty, three times as likely to be unemployed, and eight times as likely to end up in prison. At a time of economic uncertainty, one fact remains constant: If we help our young people stay in school, graduate, and prepare for college and a career, we will help them succeed.
Earlier this year, I was proud to sign an America’s Promise Alliance pledge and commit to convening a statewide dropout-prevention campaign here in New Jersey.
Camden, Newark and Jersey City are among the 50 U.S. cities that America’s Promise has targeted in its campaign to stem the tide of dropouts.
Last week in Newark, we launched a yearlong New Jersey High School Graduation Campaign. We were joined by close to 500 education, business, civic, nonprofit and faith leaders for a kickoff symposium. This was the first of several forums planned to identify promising dropout-prevention practices.
The campaign will culminate in a major summit next fall, during which we expect to discuss policy recommendations, highlight best practices, and develop action plans.
There are several important goals in this campaign to increase graduation rates, but perhaps none more important than signaling that we all must play a part. I am particularly pleased that so many community and civic organizations have already signed on. A business coalition is being formed, too.
This campaign builds on important work that we have already begun in New Jersey. For example, a core component of the public safety plan I unveiled a year ago is organized around keeping young people in school and engaged. It centers on reducing truancy, expanding and improving job training and after-school programs, and helping schools and communities better coordinate the services they offer.
Another state initiative is already moving to redesign middle schools and high schools to more effectively prepare students for the demands of life and work.
New Jersey has plenty to be proud of in its education system. It often ranks among the top states on important indicators of educational success.
But we cannot rest until we know that no one is being left behind, that all children are graduating, and that they graduate with the skills and education they need. That’s why we are convening the New Jersey High School Graduation Campaign and addressing this silent epidemic.
For more information about the Campaign, email rowena.madden@sos.state.nj.us or jeremy.lackey@lps.state.nj.us.
LEAP Academy University Charter School plans to open the Early Learning Research Academy for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in fall 2010. Preschool services for children ages 2 to 5 will be free, while a fee will be charged for daycare services for babies.
The new $8.5 million facility will be located at Fifth and Cooper streets and will provide space for early childhood education, research labs, teacher education and parenting classes. Students will be selected from a waiting list through a lottery system.
“We have found that it is too late for some to start in kindergarten. Many children enter our elementary system way behind in their cognitive and social skills,” said Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, founder of the LEAP system. ”There is a wave of Spanish-speaking immigrants in the city and we need to make sure these kids are fluent in both languages, not some blended byproduct that could limit them for life.”
LEAP is one of six charter schools in Camden.
It’s that time of the year again… kids are getting ready to head back to school. For most children, that means a fun trip out to get school supplies and a new backpack. But many kids in Camden can’t afford backpacks and supplies, so several local organizations are pitching in to put a pack on every child’s back.
The Center for Family Service’s just wrapped up its Operation Backpack program after collecting more than 900 backpacks for Camden kids. Another project, headed by Wendy Marano, is set up in conjunction with back-to-school checkups for kids at Lady of Lourdes Osborn Health Center in Camden. Kids come in for a checkup and leave with a stocked backpack.
Check out this short video about Marano’s program: Checkups+Backpacks.
If you’d like to donate a backpack and school supplies, drop by one of these backpack drives:
Wendy Marano with Lady of Lourdes Osborn Health Center
Where: 1600 Haddon Avenue, Camden
When: Through next week
Phone: (856) 757-3500
Volunteers of America — Delaware Valley
Where: 235 White Horse Pike, Collingswood
When: Accepting backpacks/supplies through second week in Septemeber, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: (856) 854-4660
Where: 7 N. Black Horse Pike, Mount Ephraim
When: Accepting through Friday
Phone: By appointment or for more information, call (856) 559-0116
In July, Gov. Jon Corzine signed a bill that will provide $3.9 billion to repair and rebuild schools across New Jersey. The School Development Authority plans to spend most of the money on schools in 53 of the poorest communities in New Jersey, including Camden.
According to the Newark Star-Ledger, the bill “sets aside $2.9 billion for schools in the state’s poorest communities, $1 billion to supplement construction projects in suburban and urban-rim districts around the state, and $50 million for county vocational school construction plans.” The plan is an attempt to carry out the 1998 NJ Supreme Court ruling (Abbott vs. Burke) that ordered the state to upgrade schools in 31 low-income communities.
The bill will fund construction projects at three Camden schools: Lanning Square Elementary School, Pyne Poynte Family Middle School, and Camden High School. Lanning Square Elementary had been shut down in 2002 because of structural problems. The total cost for the three schools is $170 million.
(photos of deteriorating Camden High)
Construction in most districts is expected to begin in January. We will keep you updated on the progress, and hopefully post some photos of the new and improved schools.
