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Newark Now Programs:
Super Summer
Click Here! Super Summer 2008 Directory
Summer is an exciting time of year for families, often bringing vacations, barbecues, picnics and time off from school and work. In Newark, where the summer months often bring increased violence, connecting families to positive activities
and resources is of the highest importance. Thankfully, a rich portfolio of positive activities and resources exists within Newark each summer. However, greater awareness of and access to this rich portfolio has been needed for Newark families, who typically do not know what's available or how best to participate in what's available. New and improved ways to reach residents and connect them to activities and resources are an imperative. Thus, Safe Summer 2006 and Super Summer 2007 were created.
Super Summer pools the resources of local government, community partners, and resident stakeholders to provide fun-filled, family friendly recreational activities, jobs and job training, expanded social services, site-specific summer programming in high violence neighborhoods, youth development, sports and outdoor activities.
Click Here! Super Summer Calendar
Super Summer Components:
Using a targeted approach involving Community Coordinators and Newark Now Community Partners, some of the key elements of the Super Summer campaign are:
* Create and distribute a comprehensive summer recreation and activities directory throughout the city
* Connect youth and families to neighborhood and city-wide family-friendly events
* Connect youth to targeted on-site recreation in high-violence neighborhoods
* Help families become aware of key resources (e.g. free pre-school, free health insurance, jobs and job training opportunities)
* Develop and maintain a summer website to keep Newarkers updated on daily summer activities
* Help with community patrols and align with the Newark Police Department community Policing Strategy (i.e. police personnel permanently assigned to neighborhoods through the year, building strong community ties.)
Community spirit is something that has been sorely lacking in many of Newark's neighborhoods for so long that it has become the norm. Our efforts through the Super Summer initiative have been successful in changing that and placing community spirit back where it belongs-in the hearts of Newarkers.
For more information about Super Summer contact Audrey Jaynes at (973) 733-3460 Ext. 117, or email ajaynes@newarknow.org
