All Stars launches its 7th City – Jersey City, NJ!
Published by Christina DiChiara
Pictured above: Kevin Cummings, CEO, Investors Bank and ASP of NJ Board Co-Chair (center) with Pat Delgado, Fundraising and Senior Program Manager, ASP of NJ (left) and members of the first class of the Jersey City DSY.
The recognition of Afterschool Development as an exciting and effective new approach to engaging poverty continues to grow across America with the official launch of the All Stars Project’s seventh city – Jersey City, NJ.
In partnership with a dynamic group of business champions led by Kevin Cummings, President & CEO of Investors Bank, and ASP of NJ Board Co-Chair, the All Stars Project (ASP) is proud to announce that the award-winning Development School for Youth (DSY) program is now available to the young people of Jersey City. The move to the Garden State’s second largest city builds on the success of the ASP of NJ’s DSY program over the last 20 years in partnering with over 100 businesses throughout the state and graduating 1,700 young people in Newark.
The Jersey City DSY’s inaugural class of 20 began their journey on February 23, 2017 at an orientation hosted by expansion partner FidelityInvestments. Among the business and community leaders attending were representatives from RBC Capital Markets, Jet.com and Hudson Partnership CMO. Kevin Cummings also took the opportunity to share what this moment means to him: “As someone who grew up in Jersey City, I know the challenges facing the young people there. The All Stars has given me and other business leaders a way to invest in young people that is both meaningful and effective in helping them to more positively deal with those challenges. It is an honor to bring this remarkable program to my home city.”
Pictured above (l. to r.): Jennifer Adams, Senior Director Workstyle Innovations, Fidelity Investments; Gloria Strickland, City Leader, ASP of NJ; and Basimah Lewis, Jersey City DSY student. Special thanks to Jennifer, Gerry McGraw, Fidelity Investments’ CFO and Fidelity Investments for their commitment and support for this expansion — hosting DSY events and stepping forward as a lead sponsor of our summer internship program.
We are proud to be partnering with Kevin and other members of the Jersey City Expansion Committee: Gerry McGraw, CFO, Fidelity Investments; Gus Milano, President & COO, Hartz Mountain Industries; Joe Panepinto, President, Global Properties; John Thurlow, COO, RBC Capital Markets; Peter Unanue, Executive Vice President, Goya Foods for spearheading and underwriting this expansion and opening new pathways of growth and development to the young people of Jersey City. We also thank partners Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, Sims Metal Management, and Connell Foley LLP for helping to make this move possible.
Congratulations to the staff and board for achieving another historic milestone in your efforts to build and grow the All Stars Project of NJ and to give the young people whose lives you touch an opportunity to perform, to grow and to dream.
Pat Delgado, Fundraising and Senior Program Manager, ASP of NJ, is heading up the expansion of the Jersey City DSY. If you’d like more information, please contact him at pdelgado@allstars.org or 212-356-8439.