Newark, NJ – August 20, 2015—The Foundation for Newark’s Future (FNF) today announced a number of upcoming Back to School events the organization is funding to help students prepare for the 2015-2016 school year. Over the next several weeks, FNF will partner with Newark Public Schools (NPS) and a number of critical community organizations to reach students across the city and lay the foundation for a strong academic start.
“Our goal has always been to improve educational outcomes for students across Newark, and a strong start to the school year can help kids succeed,” said Kimberly McLain, president & CEO of the Foundation for Newark’s Future. “Partnering with these key community organizations helps us reach kids in all of Newark’s wards and neighborhoods and get them excited for school to begin.”
The Back to School initiatives sponsored by FNF in partnership with NPS begin this Saturday, August 22, and will continue until the end of September. The events include:
Saturday, August 22, 2015, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Nat Turner Park
Back to School Extravaganza & Summer Reading Block Party
This event will feature a backpack giveaway, health & dental screenings, haircuts, food and entertainment. Representatives from Newark Public Schools and the Newark Department of Public Health will be on hand with information and to answer parents’ questions.
Saturday, August 22, 2015, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Willing Heart Community Center
Back to School Passport to Success
The giveaway will include 5,000 backpacks with school supplies for Newark Public Schools students along with food, entertainment, and clothing and book donations.
Saturday, September 12, 2015, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., New Hope Baptist Church
New Hope Baptist Church Back-to-School Giveaway
New Hope’s Back-to-School event is a way to help parents and educators get excited about learning and returning to school. It also helps ease the financial burden families face when purchasing school supplies. The event will feature a backpack and supply giveaway for K-12 students, parent and community resources, food, activities, entertainment and more.
Other community partnerships
In addition to the events above, FNF is providing 2,000 additional backpacks with school supplies to community based organizations to distribute in their neighborhoods and networks, including New Hope Baptist Church, Urban League, United Vailsburg Service Organization, La Casa de Don Pedro, Harmony House, Community Hills, New Community Corporation, and Ironbound Community Corporation.
###
About FNF: Foundation for Newark’s Future is an education foundation working to improve educational outcomes for Newark students. The Foundation is part of a $200 million campaign for Newark’s public schools, established in 2010 with a $100 million matching grant from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and quickly met with a $25M investment by the Pershing Square Foundation, among others. The Foundation invests in programs and initiatives across Newark that create large-scale change through short-term philanthropy.
