Celebrating Students’ Strengths In Newark Public Schools
Party & Reception to Celebrated “Go: Put Your Strengths Out There”
A New Book written by Newark Public Schools’ Students
Syosset, NY- December 3, 2009, The National Urban Alliance (NUA) for Effective Education, in collaboration with the Newark Public Schools, held a reception and book party to celebrate the recent publication of “Go: Put Your Strengths Out There”. With over 80 people in attendance, including the student authors, Newark Public School district leadership, parents, teachers and NUA staff and personnel, the evening was a showcase of community spirit in honor of the students’ literary achievements.
The event took place Wednesday, December 2nd at Rutgers University Club in Newark.
Written by Newark Public School students participating with the NUA under the Federal Striving Readers Program, the book celebrates the strengths of students through their poems, raps, songs, athletic shoe designs, fashion designs, and short stories--they put their strengths out there.
The NUA partners with Newark Public Schools in its federally funded Striving Readers Grant. The Grant is a middle school research initiative to determine the instructional practices that will increase achievement for the adolescent learner.
The NUA mentors provide school-wide professional development for teachers of students in math, science, and social studies. Teachers of English Language Learners and students with specials needs are also a part of each year's cohort.
Teachers are taught to mediate the literacy of their discipline and to start each lesson or instructional unit from students' strengths.
As part of the reception, the NUA announced their donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in posthumous memoriam of Dominique Garcia, author of ‘Pleasant Surprises,’ an essay in the book.
