A new Hudson County partnership aims to support underserved students with higher education opportunities.
New Jersey City University (NJCU) and the Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County (BGCHC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) July 8, establishing a first-of-its-kind initiative between the school and a youth organization.
According to the partners, the collaboration will focus on initiatives to facilitate pathways toward pursuing a college education at NJCU. Upon successful completion of BGCHC programs and meeting NJCU’s admission requirements, participants will receive conditional admission to NJCU. They'll also earn a 15% tuition discount for up to four years, if they remain in good academic standing.
Additional details of the partnership include:
- BGCHC programs will focus on peer mentorship and pre-college programming, exposing local students to college life, career exploration and skill-building workshops;
- NJCU’s Men of Color Initiative members will serve as peer mentors to BGCHC participants. Mentors will provide academic guidance, personal support and leadership development;
- BGCHC participants will also have access to NJCU’s Pre-College: GEAR UP College Bound Program . The initiative aims to enhance college readiness through academic enrichment, test preparation and college application support;
- A commitment by both organizations to closely monitor progress, evaluate program effectiveness and make necessary adjustments to ensure success.
Officials say the partnership will promote educational opportunities, social and economic mobility, as well as a conscious and engaged citizenship. At the same time, it will also foster community engagement activities on NJCU’s campus, including seminars, workshops and cultural events.
“This unique partnership is at the heart of honoring our institutional responsibility to the community that we are privileged to serve,” said
NJCU interim President Andres Acebo . “Too often, for both social and systemic reasons, young people’s promise is dimmed. The Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County is a source of light in these students’ lives and for their families and we have an opportunity here to brighten that light even more. As a product of Hudson County, this collaboration is personally meaningful because it was organizations like the Boys and Girls Club that were significant catalysts in my own academic and professional journey.”
Benefiting Jersey City's future
“Our goal is to provide a healthy space where students can enhance their abilities so that they have the greatest chance at success,” said BGCHC Chief Executive Officer Gary Greenberg. He thanked Acebo and NJCU for their partnership on this initiative. “Higher education is still one of the most impactful ways in which today’s youth can increase their future earning power. This partnership allows our kids to explore that space and see it as a real option for them if they decide to choose this path when the time is right.”
“Education is the cornerstone of a democratic society, and everything we can do to better educate our communities will be a benefit for the future of Jersey City,” said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. “I’d like to commend President Acebo and Gary Greenberg for taking this principle and walking the walk so that Jersey City’s students have a real option to pursue higher education at a price that won’t saddle them with student debt.”
Acebo said the goal is to empower the students of Hudson County to have the same opportunities for social mobility as he did.
“And this partnership enshrines our university’s commitment to create pathways so this is an attainable goal for those who have for too long been underserved and underrepresented,” said Acebo. “We look forward to working with the Boys and Girls Club leadership to further our aligned vision for a future in which any student can attain the self-actualization that they deserve for themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.”
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