The Newark Board of Education (NBOE) has recently announced a new collaboration with the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC), College Access: Research & Action (CARA), and Mentor Newark. This partnership aims to address the existing gap in college and career guidance for high school students. As part of this initiative, current college students, known as "Bridge Coaches," will be brought back to their alumni high schools to work alongside School Counselors. Their role will be to provide support to graduating high school students in various areas such as college applications, FAFSA and NJAFAA applications, scholarship applications, and the transition to college.
To kickstart this collaboration, a meeting was held on Monday, May 20, 2024 at Rutgers University - Newark, where NBOE School Counselors came together to discuss the upcoming work. Each high school will have the opportunity to recruit and recommend their own Bridge Coach(es) for hiring purposes. This collaborative effort aims to ensure that students receive the necessary guidance and support to successfully navigate the college application process and transition into higher education.