Early Literacy Anchor Table Launches In Newark

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of My Brother's Keeper Newark. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Newark, an initiative of Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN) and model community recognized by the Obama Foundation's My Brother's Keeper Alliance, recently announced the launch of its Early Literacy Anchor Table with an inaugural gathering of leaders in government, education and community organizations across Newark to develop an early literacy ecosystem that fulfills MBK Key Life Milestone Two, "Reading at a third grade level."

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The Collaborative will use data and evidence-based practices to identify gaps in schools and the community where intervention can help improve English Language Arts test scores and overall reading proficiency among third grade students.

"As an educator, I understand the connection between academic success and quality of life," said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. "There was a time where no one believed Newark could significantly reduce its violent crime rate. We built a system that prioritized data and residents' lived experiences to make Newark safer for all. Now, we are carrying over that knowledge to develop an early literacy ecosystem that supports our third graders reading at grade level."

The collaborative will draw from the success of the Newark public safety ecosystem. In 2023, The Obama Foundation recognized MBK Newark as a Model Community for its success in Key Life Milestone Six, "Remaining Safe from Violent Crime." MBK Newark earned this distinction after the city experienced a 55 percent decrease in homicides between 2013 and 2022. This reduction was attributed to strategic collaboration between Mayor Baraka's office, community organizations, law enforcement, businesses and corporations, and other stakeholders based on a data-driven approach.

"Newark's public safety ecosystem taught us that it takes a village to create positive change in Newark," said Mark Comesañas, executive director of My Brother's Keeper Newark. "It is our collective responsibility to meet young peoples' needs. The Early Literacy Anchor Table is the next step toward identifying what is working in Newark's schools and where more support is necessary"

The Early Literacy Anchor Table will be led by MBK Newark and NOYN with support from The Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at Rutgers University-Newark. The Cornwall Center will lead data collection and analysis and present findings to the Collaborative to develop evidence-based strategies to be implemented in schools serving third-graders in Newark.

"Newark Opportunity Youth Network and MBK Newark are working to build something that is of utility to the entire city of Newark," said Robert Clark, founder and executive director of Newark Opportunity Youth Network. "We are here to share resources, identify strengths, and establish a roadmap where success is not only attainable, but replicable in a way that changes young peoples' lives for the better."

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