This edition of Trust Matters is dedicated to providing opportunities and resources for children and families to enjoy one another and the Newark community throughout the summer months. Here we provide a round up of options to help prevent summer slide, have fun, and engage in self care with resources from Arts Ed Newark, The City of Newark, The Newark Museum of Art, The Newark Public Library and Newark Thrives.

NEW SESSION ALERT! We are excited to announce the addition of a new session focused on Arts Education and Healing-Centered Practices to Build Resilience at NTE's third annual Safe and Supportive Learning Environments (SSLE) Summit: Covid-19 & Beyond! Scheduled for Thursday, May 12th (11:00 am - 12:30 pm), this session will introduce participants to arts based, healing-centered approaches to address trauma and build resiliency in students.

Are you registered?

The Newark Trust for Education is proud to present the third annual Safe and Supportive Learning Environments (SSLE) Summit: Covid-19 & Beyond! This year’s summit will focus on working together with students and families to create safe and supportive learning environments post pandemic. Over the course of four days (May 10th – 13th) participants will hear keynote remarks delivered by experts including Dena Simmons, Ed.D., Educator. Activist. Lifelong Learner and founder of LiberatED; David Adams, Board of Directors of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and  CEO of The Urban Assembly; and national expert on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) Dave Ellis, Executive Director for the Office of Resilience within New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families (DCF).

DOWNLOAD AGENDA HERE

Did you know that there are four open seats on the Newark Board of Education? On Tuesday, April 20^th Newark residents will have the opportunity to cast their votes for four open seats on the Newark Board of Education (NBOE). Six candidates will vie for three open seats for three-year terms. Two candidates will vie for one open seat to complete a one-year unexpired term.

After the passing of NBOE member, Tave Padilla, Vereliz Santana was appointed to his seat in January of 2021. Santana’s term will expire after the April 20^th election. The candidate elected for the unexpired one-year seat will complete the final year of Padilla’s term. Visit Campaign Central to learn more about the candidates!

Curious about the public question on the ballot regarding the budget for school year 2021-22? Download our Budget Fact Sheet to unpack the question regarding funds for the 2021-22 school year.

On Tuesday, April 20, candidates will vie for open seats on the Newark Board of Education. During this occasion, residents have the opportunity to shape the future of public education for our children. Do your part. Stay informed. Vote.

In this edition of Trust Matters we share information on voter registration, essential training for School Board Members and an opportunity for you to meet the candidates as we gear up for this year's Annual Newark Board of Education Candidate's Forum. This year's forum, scheduled for Tuesday, April 6th, 6pm - 8pm, will be co-moderated by Ronald Chaluisán (Newark Trust for Education), Shennell McCloud (Project Ready), and Dr. Leah Owens (NAACP Newark). REGISTER NOW!

The Newark Trust for Education is excited to announce this year's launch of Campaign Central, committed to serving as an independent source for information about the 2021 Newark Board of Education election scheduled for Tuesday, April 20th.

From now until April 20th, we’ll do all we can to ensure that you find the information needed to make your choice. The Trust is committed to creating a forum for the residents of Newark to hear and assess the candidates’ priorities and ideas.

The Newark Trust for Education is dedicated to coordinating and focusing ideas, people, and resources to provide a quality public education to all children in Newark, New Jersey. As part of this mission, we are excited to announce the launch of Great Start, Great Future — our new early milestones campaign for Newark children, ages 0–3.

Our goal for the campaign is to educate parents and caregivers of children ages 0–3 about developmental milestones, connect them with resources and supports, and build and strengthen the communication infrastructure for engagement with parents and caregivers of young children in Newark.

To that end, we are excited to announce the rollout of our webpage and campaign materials. The webpage provides a list of local and national resources to inform and equip parents and caregivers with resources needed to aid their child’s development.

Click here to download agenda with registration links.

The Newark Trust for Education (NTE) is proud to announce the fourth annual Safe and Supportive Learning Environments Summit: Centering Children and Families! This year’s summit will focus on the exploration of existing and emerging approaches to creating safe and supportive learning environments in schools, in homes and in community. Over three days (May 10th – 12th), participants will hear keynote remarks delivered by local advocates and experts, including Anfal Muhammad-Jenkins and Safir Jenkins of Newark SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council); DeNiqua Matias, Executive Director for Clinton Hill Community and Early Childhood Center; and Douglas McNeill Reed, Director of Partnerships for Black Men Heal. During each session summit speakers, panelists, and facilitators will also share their views on the role of healthy multigenerational family and community relationships in supporting the socio-emotional and academic development of all children.

Participants and presenters will also explore and critique NTE’s emerging engagement framework. The proposed strategy highlights the merits of community-driven, culturally responsive models that harmonize local practices with sector-developed standards of excellence. The plan aims to create intentional and routine opportunities for community members— emphasizing the participation of families and caregivers of children ages 0 to eighteen—to gather and share information, provide input, and make informed decisions to determine improvement and growth strategies for their communities.

This summit is made possible due to the generosity of Columbia Bank, Victoria Foundation, Prudential Foundation, and Leon and Toby Cooperman Foundation

2022 SSLE SUMMIT AGENDA

NOTE: Each day requires separate registration.

Click here to register for Day #1

DAY #1 - Tuesday May 10, 2022 (9:30 am - 1:30pm)
SSLE in SCHOOLS

Opening Remarks (9:30 am - 9:50 am)
(Presented by Ronald Chaluisán, Executive Director, Newark Trust for Education)

Keynote Address (9:50 am to 10:50 am)
Psychological Safety for Thriving Students, Thriving Families, and a Thriving Society
This keynote underscores the importance of establishing and maintaining an inclusive learning environment that promotes humanness, exploration, risk-taking, leadership, and pronounced participation. Participants will learn about fostering meaningful student support to activate thriving students, thriving families and, ultimately, a thriving society. (Presented by Anfal Muhammad-Jenkins – Executive Director, Newark SEPAC and Saafir Jenkins – Chief Public Affairs Officer, Newark SEPAC).

Session 1 (11:05 am - 12:20 pm)
Centering Students and Families Through Schoolwide SEL
This interactive discussion will explore the perspectives of students, families and educators on the importance of social emotional learning initiatives at their schools and highlight learnings from five schools engaged in long-term systemic SEL work as part of NTE’s Building School Wide SEL program from January, 2020- June, 2022, through the COVID-19 pandemic. (Moderated by Tiffany Jackson, Director, Inclusive Solutions, Prudential Financial)

BREAK & Belmont Runyon Family Engagement Showcase (12:20pm - 12:35 pm)

Session 2 (12:35pm - 1:30 pm)
Sustainability & Equity in Schoolwide SEL: Roseville Community Charter School’s Journey
This presentation will highlight the importance of building strong teams, embedding continuous improvement and engaging stakeholders in building sustainable and equitable social emotional learning initiatives in schools. Participants will hear learnings about how family engagement strategies support long-term SEL work.
(Presented by Roseville Community Charter School SEL Leadership and Team)

Click here to register for Day #2

DAY #2 - Wednesday May 11, 2022 (9:30am - 1:30pm)
SSLE at Home

Opening Remarks (9:30 am - 9:50 am)
(Presented by Ronald Chaluisán, Executive Director, Newark Trust for Education)

Keynote Address (9:50 am to 10:50 am)
There's No Place Like Home: Recognizing the Value in Home Based Child Care
The recent global pandemic highlighted how critical child care is to a functioning world. Home based, or family child care programs in particular, have played an important role in helping families return to work. This address recognizes the value that home based programs bring to the overall system of early care and education, while celebrating them for the professionals they are. (Presented by DeNiqua Matias, Assistant Director, Clinton Hill Community and Early Childhood Center)

BREAK (10:50am - 11:00 am)

Session 1 (11:00 am- 12:15 pm)
The Newark CARES Network: Centering FCC Providers and Families
This session includes a presentation and community connection discussion meant to energize and stimulate new ideas and strategies that will shape the Newark Cares Network. Participants will learn about the network’s journey to date and engage in small groups to consider how the network might position itself as a “for us, by us” entity toward FCC sustainability and taking back and redefining quality.
(Kalimah Wilson, NTE, Stacey Alicea, NTE, Maria Stephen, Unified Vailsburg Service Organization, DeNiqua Matias, Clinton Hill Community and Early Childhood Center, Orlene Cummings, Twin Flames Daycare, Khadeejah Cooks, Salafy Daycare)

BREAK (12:15 pm - 12:30 pm)

Session 2 (12:30 pm- 1:30 pm)
Honor Yourself: Tools for Integrating Self-care and Wellness into Daily Routines
You are worth ease, care, and time for reflection. In this session participants will exp-lore five areas of self-care and create a plan for implementing routines to help us relax, relate, and release.
(Presented by Evelyn Alvarez, Trainer, Coach, Radio host, Community Doula & Connector)

Click here to register for Day #3

DAY #3 - Thursday May 12, 2022 (9:30am - 1:30pm)
SSLE in Community

Opening Remarks (9:30 am - 9:50 am)
(Presented by Ronald Chaluisán, Executive Director, Newark Trust for Education)

Keynote Address (9:50 am to 10:50 am)
Maintaining Wellness at Home, School and Work
This keynote will address how to create safe spaces for parents, children, and teachers by identifying the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, which provide a holistic harmony for one's personal well-being.
(Presented by Douglas McNeill Reed, Director of Partnerships, Black Men Heal)

Session 1 (10:50 am- 11:35 am)
Acknowledging Barriers: Engaging Male Caregivers to Improve Outcomes for Children
This session includes a father-centered, guided discussion to support moving from mother and female caregiver focused engagement, to full family engagement. This session will address Why and How to eliminate personal and professional barriers to father engagement in support of children’s health and development, by building positive, supportive relationships in homes, schools, and communities.
(Panelist: Leonard Davis, FELLAS Program; David Armstrong, Better Together; Emmanuel F. Larose, MBA, Newark Community Health Centers; Saafir Jenkins, Newark SEPAC)

BREAK (11:35am - 11:50 am)

Session 2 (11:50 am- 12:35 pm)
Collaborating for Success: Empowering Women in Community Leadership for Healthier Families
In this session participants will meet a group of women who will share their experiences of learning, connection, and empowerment as they endeavor to become community leaders in Newark. Session participants will engage in small group discussions with these women to explore and discuss the support needed for integration into community groups that make decisions affecting the education, health and well being of families.
(Early Learning and P-12 Teams with Nicole Pratt from SPAN. Empowered Women: Mary Omole, Cynthia Basheer, Shannon Ingraham, Tiffany Lawson Newton, Machion Westbrook-Crawford, and Bendue James)

SEL Awards (12:50pm - 1:30 pm)
NTE Social-Emotional Learning Honors: Community Champions
This year, the Newark Trust for Education will honor trailblazers who inspire, develop strong relationships and promote resilience and social-emotional growth in their work. In addition, NTE Community Champions exemplify the core values of collaboration and integrity and consistently use their time, actions and talents towards strengthening their community.
(Presented by My’chal Wilkins)

The Newark Trust for Education thanks Ms. Shané Harris for her leadership and service to Newark's families over the past eight years, in her role as Chairperson of the Newark Trust for Education’s Board of Directors.

We are thrilled that Mrs. Harris will continue her relationship to the Trust as Chairperson of the newly formed Governance Committee. In this capacity, she will guide the Board's growth and development as we enter the next decade of service to Newark.

We are equally thrilled to announce the election of Ms. Celia M. King, Chief Executive Officer of Leadership Newark, and Mr. Robert Clark, Founding Executive Director of YouthBuild Newark, as Co-Chairpersons for the Trust’s Board of Directors. We look forward to continued growth and expanded impact under their leadership.

The Newark Trust for Education is also excited to announce the appointment of Stacey Alicea as Director of Early Learning Strategy. Stacey Alicea joined the Newark Trust for Education in October 2020 as Director, Early Learn Strategy. Stacey is a community psychologist with a deep commitment to bridging research and practice initiatives grounded in community participatory action, critical pedagogy, social network, continuous improvement, and systems design frameworks. Stacey is passionate about engaging local stakeholders as partners in the development, implementation and sustainability of initiatives targeting holistic youth and family development, resource accumulation and wellness in school-based and community settings. Her work in this space includes experiences that span youth- and community-centered early childhood and school-based initiatives to community-based health and wellness programs in New York City, the Caribbean, South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Newark Trust for Education would like to stay connected and hear your questions and ideas about moving forward with school during this challenging and uncertain time, because we are smarter and better together. With that in mind, we are ANNOUNCING A NEW THOUGHTEXCHANGE to document your experiences and to learn about the experiences of others with remote learning. This ThoughtExchange is open to ALL students, parents, and teachers (inside and outside of Newark), so please share with your networks.

The survey closes Monday, September 21, 2020, at Midnight.