About

THE NEW JERSEY MINORITY EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INC. (NJ MED)

The New Jersey Minority Educational Development (NJMED) organization was formed as a nonprofit organization in August 1995. The mission of the organization is to provide an alternative lifestyle for minority youth through higher education, by providing innovative programming and technical assistance to existing educational, business, and community organizations. The organization’s key goals are:
• To provide minority students and their parents with appropriate curricular information early in their academic careers, and with college admissions, testing, and financial aid information in the appropriate later years;
• To provide minority students with significant exposure to the collegiate environment and to adult and peer role models  
• To provide New Jersey’s local and state colleges and universities, as well as post-secondary institutions outside of New Jersey, with eligible minority candidates for admission into college;
• To increase the self-concept, social skills development, and career awareness of participating students in order to enhance their ability to function successfully in society;
• To heighten parental and community awareness regarding the importance, and increased necessity, of post secondary education and to increase their involvement in the decision-making, application, and matriculation processes;
• To link students with already existing academic support and development programs; and
• To develop in program participants the necessary skills (cognitive, affective, and social) needed for academic, career, and life success.


NJ MED’S PROGRAMS

The 100% Graduation Rate Program is designed for developing at-risk minority male high school students for high school graduation and the successful transition from high school to college. From 1996 to 2006, the program’s accomplishments include raising the high school graduation rates of its male participants in Camden, New Jersey’s two major high schools, from 39% to 68% to 89%, college enrollment rates from 25% to 48% to 61 percent, and college graduation rates from 8% to 18% to 23%. To further illustrate the creative intervention strategies and model based on the collaborative with Rutgers- Camden EOF program and the city’s local business community, the participant’s were followed in a longitudinal study to adulthood, and were documented as exceeding the statistical rate of other Camden adult males in full-time employment by 24%, decreased adult unemployment rates by 10% and lowered incarceration rates by 23%. During the 10-year operation of the 100% Graduation Rate Program it provided services for 285 unduplicated participants. The program targeted the most difficult population but achieved a 75% participation completion rate.

BABY 2000 is an annual toddler management forum for “high risk” teen parents. The purpose of the forum is to reach 30 to 50 new teen parents (both male and female) that are in the juvenile justice system, and provide them with general knowledge and methodology required to establish effective co-parenting skills for their child, as well as, referrals services contact. Two forums have been held, March 24, 2000 and October 20, 2005, with 44 females and 15 social agencies.

The American Reinforce Knowledge (ARK) Project is an after-school academic and
structured recreation program for youths between the ages of 5 to 14 years old. The
mission of the ARK Project is to utilize a psychographic market analysis format rather
than a standard educational approach to resolve the adjustment problems of today’s urban youth’s academic and social development.


Community Initiative Project is designed to provide youths with effective job training skills and summer job placement. From 1997 to 2006, over 200 local businesses and 425 students have participated. Our partners in the project include RESPONSE, Camden County OEO, and the Camden County NAACP.


Community Resource Forums – provides quarterly and annual educational forums for
local educators, businesses, and community based service organizations to gain access to their target markets. Forums on higher education, economic development, early child care, minority male leadership, technology, and housing are the primary issues presented. Since 1996, NJMED has conducted 12 forums with an
average attendance of 100 to 200 guests.

Since publishing their first major report in 2009, “Building America’s Minority Workforce for the Challenge of the 21st Century”, NJMED have branched out their organization’s mission to other states, in hope of disseminating their successful programs and services.