Newark Tech preparing students for the future with hands on learning opportunities – CBS News

Newark Tech: A Model for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals Through Integrated Education

Introduction: An Educational Oasis Aligned with Global Goals

Newark Tech, an advanced vocational and technical institution in Essex County, New Jersey, serves as a powerful case study in the application of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local level. By integrating rigorous academics with career and technical education (CTE), the school directly addresses several key SDGs, most notably SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Principal Dr. Jenabu C. Williams describes the institution as an “educational oasis” dedicated to preparing students from 22 municipalities for both college and careers, thereby setting a new standard for educational excellence and opportunity in the region.

SDG 4: Ensuring Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education

Fostering Lifelong Learning Opportunities

Newark Tech’s core mission is the embodiment of SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The institution achieves this through a multi-faceted approach:

• Integrated Curriculum: The school has successfully moved beyond outdated stereotypes of vocational training by offering a dual-focus curriculum that prepares students for higher education and immediate entry into skilled professions.
• High Engagement: By providing a learning community where excellence is expected, the school has cultivated an environment of high student engagement, reflected in some of the lowest absenteeism rates for a major city school in the nation.
• Access to Higher Education: The school actively promotes pathways to tertiary education, a key target of SDG 4. Strategic partnerships provide students with significant advantages.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

In alignment with SDG 17, Newark Tech has forged robust partnerships with higher education institutions to expand learning opportunities. These collaborations include:

1. New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
2. Rutgers University
3. Essex County College
4. Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Through dual enrollment and early college programs, students can earn college credits and, in some cases, graduate with an Associate’s Degree, effectively reducing barriers to higher education and advancing educational equity.

SDG 8: Promoting Decent Work and Economic Growth

Developing Relevant Skills for Future Employment

The school’s curriculum is strategically designed to meet the objectives of SDG 8, which focuses on promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. This is accomplished by equipping students with technical and vocational skills relevant to in-demand industries.

Key Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs

• Welding: Teacher Bernard Gomes identifies welding as a “golden ticket” to employment. The program connects students directly with employers like the U.S. Navy and union apprenticeship programs, ensuring a clear pathway from education to decent work.
• Automotive and Engineering Robotics: These programs prepare students for careers in technology and manufacturing, contributing to innovation and sustainable industrialization (SDG 9).
• Medical Professions: A comprehensive suite of programs addresses critical workforce needs in the healthcare sector.

The work-based learning program, which partners with entities such as PSNG and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, provides a direct link between education and employment, addressing SDG Target 8.6 to reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training.

SDG 3: Ensuring Good Health and Well-being

Training the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals

Newark Tech makes a significant contribution to SDG 3 by developing a pipeline of skilled professionals for the healthcare industry. The school offers specialized training for careers as:

• Dentists and Dental Hygienists
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
• Nurses and Medical Assistants

The facility features an ambulance simulator, the only one of its kind in a New Jersey high school, providing state-of-the-art, hands-on training. Senior Vernil Annoh, who aims to become a crisis nurse, noted the program provides a “unique opportunity” to gain certification and experience before entering nursing school. This focus on practical, high-quality medical training directly supports the goal of strengthening health systems.

SDG 10: Reducing Inequalities

An Engine for Social and Economic Mobility

By drawing students from diverse backgrounds across 22 municipalities and providing them with access to high-quality academic and vocational pathways, Newark Tech functions as a powerful tool for reducing inequalities (SDG 10). The story of student Luis Martinez, who found direction and purpose at the school after previous behavioral challenges, illustrates the transformative impact of this inclusive educational model. The institution provides students with the skills and confidence to pursue higher education or enter skilled trades, creating opportunities for economic mobility and a more equitable future.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article is centered on Newark Tech, a school that provides high-quality technical and vocational education. It emphasizes creating an “educational oasis” with “world class facilities and world class teachers” to prepare students for both college and careers. This directly aligns with the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The school’s curriculum is designed to give students a “jump on a career” in high-demand fields such as medicine, welding, and robotics. By connecting students with industry partners like the U.S. Navy and union apprenticeship programs, Newark Tech actively promotes productive employment and decent work, contributing to economic growth by supplying a skilled workforce.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The article highlights the school’s “state of the art” and “brand new” facilities, including an ambulance simulator and advanced departments for robotics and engineering. This focus on modern infrastructure and technology-driven education supports innovation and prepares students to contribute to and sustain modern industries.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  Newark Tech’s success is built on a foundation of strong partnerships. The article mentions collaborations with higher education institutions (NJIT, Rutgers University, Essex County College), industry (U.S. Navy, PSNG), and public authorities (Port Authority of New York and New Jersey). These public and public-private partnerships are crucial for achieving the educational and career-oriented goals described.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.3: Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The article details the school’s “dual enrollment programs, early college programs,” which allow students to take courses at NJIT, Rutgers University, and Essex County College, sometimes even graduating with an associate’s degree.
   • Target 4.4: Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The school provides career and technical education (CTE) in fields like dentistry, nursing, welding, robotics, and auto mechanics, directly equipping students with job-ready skills. The welding program is described as a “golden ticket” due to high industry demand.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. The school’s entire model is designed to prevent students from falling into this category. The “work-based learning program” connects students directly with industry partners and “union apprenticeship programs,” creating a clear pathway from education to employment.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization. By training the next generation of welders for the U.S. Navy, technicians for the Port Authority, and experts in robotics, the school directly supports the workforce needs of key industries, thereby promoting industrialization.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article explicitly lists partnerships between the public school and various entities: public universities (NJIT, Rutgers), public-private corporations (PSNG), government agencies (U.S. Navy), and public authorities (Port Authority), showcasing a multi-stakeholder approach to education and workforce development.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicators for SDG 4 (Quality Education)

  • Student Enrollment in Higher Education Programs: The article mentions students “leaving here with college credits up to and including even graduating with an associate’s degree,” which serves as a direct measure of access to tertiary education (Target 4.3).
  • Acquisition of Vocational Skills and Certifications: A student’s goal to “get certified as a medical assistant” before nursing school is an example of students gaining measurable, job-relevant skills (Target 4.4).
  • Student Attendance Rates: The article states that “absenteeism rates are some of the lowest for big cities in the nation,” which is a key indicator of student engagement and the quality of the learning environment.
  • Student Academic Achievement: The mention of a student being a “National Merit Scholarship semifinalist” and scoring a “perfect score on her PSAT” are indicators of high academic performance.

• Indicators for SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

  • Youth Transition to Employment/Apprenticeships: The “work-based learning program” that connects students with “union apprenticeship programs” and industry partners implies a measurable outcome: the number or percentage of graduates who successfully transition into these opportunities (Target 8.6).

• Indicators for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

  • Number and Type of Partnerships: The article explicitly lists the school’s partners, including “NJIT, Rutgers University, Essex County College,” “Rutgers New Jersey Medical School,” “the U.S. Navy,” “PSNG,” and “Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.” The existence and number of these formal collaborations can be used as an indicator of progress toward Target 17.17.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cbsnews.com