Jersey City – The Saint Peter’s College Sociology & Urban Studies Department will host the Building Better Bridges for a Better Jersey City Conference Part II on Thursday, April 26 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. in McIntyre. The conference is cosponsored by the William E. Simon Foundation.
The conference consists of seven panel discussions highlighting the collaboration among Saint Peter’s College students, faculty and local community organizations on issues such as homelessness, affordable housing, child-care and after-school programs. The panel sessions, topics and times include:
- 9:15 a.m. Panel 1: Jobs, Income, Housing and the Quality of Life in Jersey City by Women Rising/Fairmount Housing Corporation
- 10:00 a.m. Panel 2: An Enumeration and Needs Assessment of the Homeless in Hudson County by United Way
- 10:30 a.m. Panel 3: Why Students Do or Do Not Participate in the After-School Program: The Parents’ Perspective by The Learning Community Charter School
- 11:00 a.m. Panel 4: Leaders of Tomorrow: College/Community Collaboration by New City Kids After-School Program
- 11:15 a.m. Panel 5: Increasing Youth Membership in the Church by Calvary CME Church
- 1:00 p.m. Panel 6: Male Participation in Head Start Programs by Head Start
- 1:20 p.m. Panel 7: Women Rising & Micro-Lending by Women Rising
- 2:00 p.m. Documentary Video: College & Community: Building Bridges for a Better Jersey City – Part 1
The William E. Simon Foundation renewed the College’s Community Partnership Grant for the second year to fund the various projects with the local social service agencies and the annual conference. In the past two years, the Simon Foundation has dedicated approximately $117,400 to this effort.
Last year, Saint Peter’s College worked with five community service agencies in Jersey City. Each organization was paired with a college class, faculty and students. Individual projects included hands-on fieldwork by approximately 65 Saint Peter’s students and six faculty members.
Named after its principal benefactor, the William E. Simon Foundation supports programs that are intended to strengthen the free enterprise system and the spiritual values on which it rests: individual freedom, initiative, thrift, self-discipline and faith in God. The mission of the Foundation reflects the unique accomplishments of the individual for whom it is named, and the principles of a free society that have made these accomplishments possible.
Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City. The College has a branch campus for adults in Englewood Cliffs, NJ and also offers courses at various corporate sites at the Jersey City waterfront and in South Amboy, NJ.
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