parentspotlight

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Workshop: Black Parenting in the 21st century

Fyi:

Jay Jefferson Cooke of The Courier News joins Rev. Dr. Shirley B. Cathie of Plainfield’s Community Church of Christ in a rousing session on issues of Black Parenting in the 21st century, Thursday evening, December 20th at 6:30 P.M. at Plainfield Public Library.

Jay Jefferson Cooke has recently written some thought provoking editorials that deal directly with childhood development and critical issues that impact on proper development. Paying special attention to children and youth of the Black community, Jay Jefferson Cooke gives a sound commentary on issues that are often overlooked in the growth of our children.

Rev. Dr. Shirley B. Cathie is Plainfield’s foremost educator, who is pastor emeritus of Community Church of Christ, retired teacher and former member of Plainfield’s Board of education. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that highlight the pitfalls and the joys of the awesome journey of raising Black children in a multicultural society.

Presented by Plainfield’s NubianUnion nonprofit collaborative, Rev. Dr. Cathie and Jay Jefferson Cooke promise an informative evening of critical foundations and interactive conversation that will surely lead to positive child rearing, development and the impact on the Black community.

Plainfield Public Library offers ample parking space on its 9th Street side. All sessions begin at 6:30 P.M. and end at 8:30.

For more information:
822 Madison Avenue Unity Missionary Investors, Inc.
Plainfield, New Jersey 07060 Henry C. Rawls, President
The Nubian Cultural Center
908.315.3663 nubianunion@yahoo.com
fax: 908.315.3925

The Black Holocaust Series

"Homework Help NJ"

Booker Helps Launch "Homework Help NJ"
WEBWIRE – Wednesday, December 12, 2007
State Library partnership with PSE&G means free after school homework help for students in 7 New Jersey communities
The New Jersey State Library, in partnership with PSE&G, and with help from Newark Mayor Cory Booker, today launched a major initiative to offer free homework help to the students, residents and users of seven major public libraries around the state.
Thanks to a new program called “Homework Help NJ,” students in grades 4 to 12 can get free help with their math, science, social studies and English assignments via the Internet. This online tutoring program delivered by Tutor.com allows students with library cards to chat online with tutors that can help them tackle their homework problems. Spanish-speaking tutors are available for help with math and science assignments.
“Homework Help NJ” is designed to provide the highest quality of one-on-one instruction. It is being piloted in Camden, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark, New Brunswick, Paterson and Willingboro - and thanks to a $265,000 grant from PSE&G – it will also be made available to all students enrolled in NJ After 3 afterschool programs. NJ After 3 is a statewide network of nonprofit run, after-school programs, currently serving over 15,000 children in more than 100 schools throughout New Jersey.
"This is a program that provides real value to the community" said Mayor Booker. "By helping kids do better in school, we boost their confidence and ensure that they stay engaged in academics, instead of the activity on the streets. This is the kind of programming we need more of, and the kind of public-private partnerships that I encourage"
With “Homework Help NJ,” there’s no scheduling, no appointments and no traveling. Tutors are available online and on demand, 7 days a week from 3 to 8 pm. Whether students need just a few minutes of help or a significant amount of time to better understand a complex concept, certified Tutor.com tutors work with students to help them build their confidence and do well in school.
“Kids deserve equal opportunity to succeed, and this program helps to provide that,” said Ralph LaRossa, President & COO of PSE&G. “We see tremendous potential in this program and are providing substantial funding to bring it into communities that we serve. While that’s a good start, more support is needed. My hope is that our corporate and foundation colleagues will step up and join the effort in Year Two, so that even more students can get the help they need.”
In addition to supporting students, “Homework Help NJ” is a valuable resource for parents, grandparents and caretakers who do not have the time or subject knowledge to help students with their homework on a regular basis.
“The New Jersey State Library, through the NJ Library Network, has long been committed to the education of young people and adults through a variety of programs we have funded and encouraged local public libraries to offer,” noted State Librarian Norma Blake. “The extra assistance available to students in these cities from live Homework Help tutors has the potential to instill a sense of success and accomplishment that will carry forward into the school day. With PSE&G’s generous support, we hope to build “Homework Help NJ” into a program that will expand and extend beyond its initial funding,” Blake said.
Students who live in one of the seven designated towns can connect to a “Homework Help NJ” tutor through their local libraries, or from their home PC or Mac, with their library card number. The program Web site is www.homeworkhelpnj.org. In addition, students enrolled in NJ After 3 can access “Homework Help NJ” at local program sites. NJ After 3 nonprofit partner sites include Boys & Girls Clubs, faith-based groups, museums, universities, community development corporations, YW/YMCAs, and others.
Tutor.com has been delivering its Live Homework Help® service to students in the U.S. through libraries since 2001. More than 2.5 million homework help sessions have been delivered to date--with an average of 4,000 sessions each evening this fall.
“Tutor.com has made a long-term commitment to working with state libraries and businesses to create successful public/private partnerships that benefit kids,” explained George Cigale, founder and CEO of Tutor.com. “We are excited to work with both the New Jersey State Library and PSE&G to ensure that students who need homework assistance in New Jersey have access to instant help to reach their academic goals.”
About New Jersey State Library
The New Jersey State Library has three bureaus: the Library Development Bureau (LDB), the NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped (NJLBH) and the State Library Information Center (SLIC). It leads in the provision, promotion and support of quality library and information services to all people of New Jersey. The State Library, which is affiliated with Thomas Edison State College, coordinates, promotes and funds the New Jersey Library Network, of which we are a proud member. Last year, attendance in New Jersey’s public libraries was well over 46 million with total circulation of almost 54 million.
About PSE&G
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. Each year, the company and its employees invest millions of dollars and thousands of hours to improve the quality of life in New Jersey. The company’s culture dictates that service to customers and community go hand-in-hand.
About Tutor.com
Tutor.com creates innovative, on demand homework help and tutoring services that connect students to a professional tutor online the moment they need help in math, science, social studies or English. Our network of over 2,200 professional tutors has delivered over 3 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. Tutor.com services include Tutor.com Direct, an on demand tutoring service for families and Live Homework Help, an after-school program offered at over 1,600 public libraries. Tutor.com also powers two statewide, governor-supported initiatives, HomeworkKansas and HomeworkAlabama. Tutor.com was named to Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Program for the New York Region in 2007 and 2006, was honored as one of the 25 Best Small Companies for Women 2007 by Working Mother and ranked in the first-ever Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America. For more information or a free trial of the service please visit www.tutor.com or call (800) 411-1970.
About New Jersey After 3, Inc.
New Jersey After 3 (NJA3) is the first state-wide, private, nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding and improving after school opportunities for New Jersey’s kids – giving them the opportunity to participate in high-quality, comprehensive, structured and supervised and enriching after school activities. Currently NJA3 funds a network of programs serving over 15,000 children in over 100 schools throughout the state of New Jersey. For more information, including a complete list of afterschool programs – please visit www.njafter3.org

Saturday, October 6, 2007

TANF Initiative for Parents (TIP) /Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

TANF Initiative for Parents (TIP)
The TANF Initiative for Parents (TIP) was born out of the Child Welfare Reform effort, to help new parents with children under 12 months old who are on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) improve their parenting skills and encourage their child's well-being and healthy development.
TIP offers parents the opportunity to choose between having a TIP representative come directly to their home to work one-on-one with them or participating in community sessions at their local One-Stop Career Center. Or they can choose a combination of the two.
Through its extended support network, TIP creates a training plan that best suits each parent's situation, providing them with guidance on good nutrition, available medical and child care services, resume writing, job interview skills and more. Parents are also given the opportunity to share their experiences with families like themselves and are referred to other services they may need.
View the TIP brochure (pdf format) - English; Español

Early Childhood Resources (Tri-State and National)

main source of links: http://www.newjerseychildcarecenters.com/

Mother and More Chapters in New Jersey - Mothers & More is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers through support, education and advocacy.
Matching Moms in New Jersey- Meet other moms in New Jersey for playdates, friendship, and support.
Mom To Mom Chat.com - A site for Moms, by Moms - Find support, encouragement, articles, discussion boards, business opportunities, resources, chat room, link and flyer exchanges. A friendly place to meet for ALL Moms. StepMoms, GrandMoms, Work-At-Home Moms, Divorced Moms, Charitable Moms, Moms of Special Needs Kids, and more can find other Moms to chat with, meet new friends, find work-at-home ideas, recipes, places for Moms to shop, share ideas and more!
MOPS Mothers of Preschoolers - MOPS helps moms through relationships established in the context of local groups that provide a caring atmosphere for today's mother of young children.
Newborn Baby Checklist - Preparing your baby is easy with TinyTotLots.com, the most comprehensive newborn checklist for your new baby.
New Jersey Newcomers and Mom's Club Directory - A directory of Newcomers and Moms clubs in New Jersey, which are designed to give people new to the area the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with others who live in the area. Many of these groups have general meetings and interest groups which encourage members to learn about their new city, its culture, activities, lifestyle, and to develop friendships by sharing interests and hobbies with each other.
The New Parents Guide . com - Parenting Information, Shopping and Family Travel. Lists of baby names and meanings; lists of the most popular names; buying guides; convenient shopping for baby products and gifts; family travel & vacation guides; family resorts and much more!
Visually Impaired Preschool Students - Offers appropriate services to infants, toddlers and preschoolers who are visually impaired from birth to school age and to their families; to maximize each child's developmental potential through direct services, advocacy, and community education.
New Jersey's School for the Deaf Katzenbach Campus Ewing New Jersey

Compass Needs Assessment for Middlesex County and Franklin Twp (Somerset County) by United Way of Central NJ

UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL JERSEY
COMPASS NEEDS ASSESSMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United Way of Central Jersey COMPASS Needs Assessment process was conducted
by The Eagleton Institute’s Center for Public Interest Polling in consultation with
representatives from the United Way of Central Jersey (“UWCJ”) and from Middlesex
County. The main objective of this study is to provide information on the social service
and related needs of residents within the UWCJ service area – which is defined as all of
Middlesex County and Franklin Township in Somerset County.
The specific issues addressed by this study include employment, health care access,
housing needs, child care, youth needs, senior social needs and respite care,
transportation needs, literacy issues, and barriers to accessing needed services.

Data Collection: June 2001 – May 2002

Blogger's Note: We have provided the link to the full report. This is an extensive document. It has 141 pages.

http://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/UWCJ_Report.pdf

Friday, September 28, 2007

NJ After 3 - evaluation of afterschool program

New Jersey After 3 was established in 2004 by the state’s governor as a private, non-profit corporation to address the growing need for safe, accessible, high quality after-school opportunities for school children in New Jersey. During the 2006-07 school year, New Jersey After 3 served approximately 13,500 children in 66 after-school programs serving 95 schools throughout the state.

A three-year Policy Studies Associates (PSA) evaluation aims to yield information that state and local policymakers and program administrators can use to improve the quality, availability, and effectiveness of New Jersey After 3. The program is the nation’s first statewide public/private partnership that focuses exclusively on support for after-school programs. New Jersey After 3 works with youth-serving nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, universities, hospitals, foundations, corporations, faith-based organizations, cultural institutions, and others to provide a range of resources for after-school programming.
Here is the link to the full report: http://www.policystudies.com/studies/youth/NJA3.html

New Jersey After 3 (NJA3) is a statewide after-school organization modeled after The After-School Corporation (TASC). It is dedicated to expanding and improving after-school opportunities for New Jersey students in grades K-8. TASC has provided extended technical assistance to NJA3 staff in program development, fund development, grant selection, and evaluation. NJA 3 is also a partner in TASC’s Building Healthy Communities initiative, which is funded by the Corporation for National & Community Service’s Learn and Serve America.

Mission:
New Jersey After 3 is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to expanding and improving afterschool opportunities for New Jersey’s kids. Our vision is that all New Jersey children will have the opportunity to participate in vibrant, high-quality, comprehensive, structured, supervised and enriching afterschool activities. New Jersey After 3 is formed as a public-private partnership to maximize the resources available to afterschool programs for New Jersey kids.

Here is the link to the full report: http://www.policystudies.com/studies/youth/NJA3.html

Here is the link to NJ After 3: http://www.njafter3.org

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