Student/Partner Alliance Establishes Emergency Fund

[SUMMIT, NJ] – The Board of Student/Partner Alliance(S/PA), a Summit based non-profit, which supports low-income, urban high schools in the greater Newark and Jersey City areas, raised over $70,000 in a few days to support emergency tuition assistance for our students whose parents are ill or have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19. Anticipating a great need for this fund in the coming weeks and months, the Board acted quickly to provide needed financial assistance.

As each day goes by, we hear from more students of parents who are sick or can’t find work and are struggling to feed their families. We are working with our schools, partners and mentors to get the assistance where it is most needed. S/PA students attend seven private high schools in urban NJ.

As the President of the Board, Emmett Daly, a Summit resident said: “Students in the Program are already low income and now face even greater financial strain from the COVID 19 shutdown. Our Board recognized this dire need and responded quickly and compassionately. I am so very proud of this inspiring group.”

If you would like to make a donation, please visit our website or mail a check to our office at 561 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901.

ABOUT:

Student/Partner Alliance

The mission of Student/Partner Alliance (S/PA) is to support motivated high school students at private high schools in New Jersey’s urban areas of Essex, Hudson and Union counties with tuition assistance and mentoring to increase their chances for college admission and scholarships, and ultimately to lead successful and productive lives. Click here to view a recent video about S/PA

Research from mentor.org shows that mentors play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to strive and thrive, to attend and engage in school, and to reduce or avoid risky behavior like drug use. In turn, these young people are:

– 55% more likely to be enrolled in college

– 81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities

– 78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.

– More than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team.

Yet, the same research shows that one in three young people in our country will grow up without a mentor. Today, in our community there are so many young people who could benefit from having a mentor outside their family.

To learn more about the role mentoring plays in our community and to find volunteer opportunities with us visit www.studentpartneralliance.org. If you would like to learn more about our program, please contact me at akent@studentpartneralliance.org.