STEM

District’s “I Believe” Grants for Teachers Funded with over $3 Million Dollars

[Newark, NJ (December 3, 2021] In 2018, Superintendent León initiated the “I Believe in You” and “I Believe in My PLC” grants to impress on teachers his full commitment to the important work they do in teaching and learning.

In response to the global pandemic, the Superintendent reintroduced these two grant for teachers and funded it with its largest installment of over $3.3 million dollars reserved for teachers and teacher team driven projects.  The “I Believe in You” grant provides every teacher with $1,000 and the I Believe in My Professional Learning Community” for one team of teachers per school with $7,000 for the purchase of supplies, materials and researched based strategies.  “Our teachers have been front and center through the pandemic.  The projects submitted are a testament that they continue to be steadfast in supporting our students’ academic and social-emotional needs”, said Superintendent Leόn.

Teachers have been creative in using these funds to support all curricular areas including Literacy, Mathematics, STEM, Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts, and Physical Education.  Teachers are taking advantage of this opportunity with one-third of the schools spending 100% of their total installment to date.  “This grant was a win-win for my students and me!  My small investment of taking the time to complete the grant was outweighed by the impact it will have on student learning and my own personal success as a teacher,” said Mr. Vargas, Teacher.  While teachers are struggling and wrestling with the effects of the global pandemic, they are nothing less than selfless and resilient.  This year’s installment of both of these grants for teachers is a reminder to all that our teachers are committed to our students, and we are committed to them,” added Superintendent Leόn.

In addition to ensuring teachers are equipped with the resources to help students learn and think critically, the district is keenly aware of their heroic efforts and personal needs.  Through a Center for Disease Control grant to support teacher and staff mental health, all staff have access to the WHIL App, a digital training platform for mindfulness, resilience, and mental & emotional wellbeing.  The platform for staff also contains digital courses on meditation, reducing stress and anxiety, and improving physical health.

“We continue to be inspired by our teachers’ relentless drive and excited to know they are taking advantage of all the supports made available to them.  We are proud of our teachers and staff,” said Board President Dawn Haynes.

Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program

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This summer two incoming Newark Board of Education seniors completed the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program. This program helped these young women learn computer science skills that will help them make an impact on their community while learning about a wide variety of career opportunities in technology. This program also allows these students to learn networking skills and be exposed to real world work experiences.

Congratulations to Jaya Byfield from Bard Early College High School and Muqtadira Alli from Science Park High School for their participation this summer.

Click here to read more abou the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program.

Newark Board of Education Installs the First Remote Power Unit Off-Grid Wind/Solar LED Street Light in the City of Newark

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Featured in this photo are: Diane Marcillo, Steven Morlino, Superintendent Roger León, Marcus Johnson and Rodney L. Williams

The Newark Board of Education takes great pride in the upkeep of our campus and adopting cutting edge technologies. We continue to invest in and provide our students and staff with the best facilities and educational experiences possible.

In the fall of 2019, Rodney Williams, Director of Energy & Sustainability of the Newark Board of Education and staff members, met with Aris Wind to discuss renewable energy solutions for the district. They were particularly interested in Aris’ wind and solar powered streetlight that is called a Remote Power Unit (RPU).

“I want to thank Superintendent León and Mr. Steve Morlino for allowing me and my staff to be a part of such a progressive team.  We took advantage of the opportunity to do something beyond the need of light, and our students and community will benefit from years to come,” said Rodney.

After extensive research, the decision was made to locate the RPU outside of the flagship Science Park High School.  The District felt this investment would be a wonderful improvement to the campus landscape and provide a great learning opportunity for the student body.  The RPU is off the grid and will provide resilient power and light. The district plans to incorporate the unit’s wind and solar data into its STEM curriculum at Science Park High School.

“The RPU is an important key that unlocks a wealth of cutting edge 21st Century technology and is aligned with the priorities outlined in our strategic plan, The Next Decade: 2020-30,” said Superintendent of Schools, Roger León.  “The installation of the RPU is the first of its kind to be installed in the City of Newark.  It will teach and expose our students to different ways to be leaders in helping their community become more sustainable,” he added.

The wind turbine and solar panel on the RPU will provide 100% renewable clean energy. Improving the safety and security of the grounds, it will provide power and light, even in the event of a grid outage. The RPU will capture wind and solar energy year-round which can be stored for up to five-days, depending on usage and demand.

The Newark Board of Education is very enthusiastic about the many opportunities this RPU will create for the students to learn about the science of renewable energy.

Dan Connors, COO of Aris Wind commented, “We are very pleased with the opportunity to provide one of our RPU’s to Newark Schools, particularly at this location!   The Science Park team’s commitments to sustainability, their STEM curriculum, and security of their students, is perfectly matched to the RPU.”

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For more information, please contact:

Newark Board of Education
Nancy Deering, Interim Executive Director
Communications
973-733-6265

About The Newark Public Schools District
The Newark Public Schools District, with 66 schools, 5,877 employees and a student population of 37,291 is the largest and one of the oldest school systems in New Jersey. Its origin dates back to 1676. Barringer High School, in Newark’s North Ward, is the third oldest public high school in the nation. The ethnic diversity of the city provides a rich educational experience for pre-kindergarten to secondary school students. The district continues to revise its services to meet the changing needs of students.

NBOE Hosts Girls Who Code Computer Science Showcase featuring 300 Students from 25 schools

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[Newark, New Jersey, December 12, 2019] On Thursday, December 12th beginning at 9:00AM, the Newark Board of Education in partnership with Girls Who Code and NJIT hosted our inaugural “Girls Who Code Computer Science Showcase” featuring over 300 sixth through tenth grade students from 25 of our schools.

The event occurring during Computer Science Education Week (December 9 - 15) featured a coding-based project competition among students participating in after-school clubs to present their “Impact Projects” to the competition’s judges. Each club’s Impact Project was developed this year to solve problems in their local community by applying coding knowledge and creative computational thinking to a range of product designs - from innovative phone apps to web sites and robotics.

The showcase included a recorded welcome message from First Lady Tammy Murphy and opening remarks from Superintendent of Schools Roger León, NJIT President Joel Bloom, and Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter. Additionally, distinguished representatives from Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, Panasonic, Prudential, NJIT, the Urban League of Essex County, William Paterson University, Montclair University, Kean University, Girls Who Code, and the Newark Board of Education served as volunteer judges to review the students’ projects.

The projects were evaluated based on a rubric reviewing three core components: 1) Design and Aesthetics, 2) Purpose, and 3) Social Impact & Project Differentiation. First, second, and third place were awarded to the following schools for each category as well as an overall first, second, and third place.

Overall

  1. Oliver Street School - "Sustain’able"
  2. Technology High School - “Global Warming”
  3. Sussex Avenue School - “Community Service for the Eldery”

Social Impact & Project Differentiation

  1. Thirteenth Avenue/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School - “Newark Teens”
  2. George Washington Carver/Bruce Street School - “We Code for Social Change”
  3. South Street School

Purpose

  1. Ridge Street School - Ridge Street School Clubs
  2. Lafayette Street School - “Stomp Out Bullying”
  3. First Avenue School - “Safe with the Knights”

Design & Aesthetics

  1. Rafael Hernandez Elementary School - “Save the Turtles”
  2. Louise A. Spencer School - “Explore Your Passion”
  3. Belmont Runyon Community School - “Changing The World Through Coding”

Interviews with CBS

Newark Public Schools Hosts Girls Who Code Showcase/Computer Science Fair Featuring 300 Students

[Newark, New Jersey, December 11, 2019] On Thursday, December 12th beginning at 9:00AM, the Newark Board of Education, in partnership with Girls Who Code and NJIT, will host an inaugural “Girls Who Code Showcase” featuring over 300 sixth through tenth grade students from 25 of our schools at the New Jersey Institute of Technology Campus Center. 

 The event occurs during Computer Science Education Week (December 9 – 15) and will feature a coding-based project competition among students participating in after-school clubs.  During the showcase, students will present their “Impact Projects” to the competition’s judges. Each club’s Impact Project was developed to solve problems in their local community, by applying coding knowledge and creative computational thinking to a range of product designs — from innovative phone apps to web sites and robotics.

 The projects will be evaluated based on a rubric reviewing three core components: 1) Design and Aesthetics, 2) Purpose, and 3) Social Impact & Project Differentiation. First, second, and third place will be awarded to schools for each category as well as an overall first, second, and third place.

 The showcase will include a recorded welcome message from First Lady Tammy Murphy and opening remarks from Superintendent of Schools Roger León, Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, and Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter.

 Additionally, distinguished representatives from Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, Panasonic, Prudential, NJIT, the Urban League of Essex County, William Paterson University, Montclair University, Kean University, Girls Who Code, and the Newark Board of Education will serve as volunteer judges to review the students’ projects.