UWMC Providing “More Chance for Change” to Asbury Park Kids
DID YOU KNOW?
According to the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College, participation in an after-school program brings a net benefit of between $79,484 and $119,427. In other words, each dollar invested in an at-risk child brings a return of $8.92 to $12.90. Afterschool programs led to improved school performance, increased future wages, reduced crime costs and reduced welfare costs (Rose Institute).
Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. It’s essential to getting and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits, and it’s fundamental to a community’s economic prosperity. But with more and more children dropping out each year and academic performance declining, our county is facing an education crisis. United Way of Monmouth County is dedicated to helping children throughout our community stay in school and succeed.
In order to provide positive support for the children in Asbury Park, UWMC has partnered with Prevention First, an organization committed to improving the lives of Monmouth County children so they can thrive and grow to be responsible, strong individuals in any environment. Since 1967, Prevention First has been raising awareness and promoting
prevention of substance abuse and violence to Monmouth County residents, becoming a steadfast leader of statewide advocacy efforts. Working together, the groups provide the More Chance for Change (MC²) after-school program.
MC² provides year-round after-school activities to children in Asbury Park, helping them become selfsufficient, develop useful life skills, avoid gangs and achieve high academic performance. Throughout this summer, the children (ages 11–13) participated in an exciting project that allowed them to share their vision with the world. The children were asked to visualize and express their ideas through a portable mural that will be displayed throughout the community.
The theme of the mural was “Dreams of our Community”. Working with well-known local artist Molly Johnson, the youths discussed their hopes and concerns for their town. Issues such as gangs and increased violence, their desire for cleaner neighborhoods, building peace between their neighbors, as well as greater access to sports and recreation opportunities, all figured into the children’s dreams.
They painted their visions on large white sheets and pillowcases. The sheets serve as a metaphor for these children finally getting a cathartic chance to "air their laundry", hopes and concerns. This project allowed the youths to have their voices heard while raising public awareness to some of the needs of the next generation. The mural took over two months to complete and was first displayed to the public on September 30th at the Asbury Park Middle School.
“At the heart of the mural, there is a child sleeping on the beach,” said Jessica Ford, Program Director of Prevention First. “That child represents every kid who worked on our project and every other child in Asbury Park who has to deal with all the challenges out there. The dream has both good and bad paths, just like life. We hope that by working on this mural, our kids are more likely to end up on the right path and ‘succeed in school’.”
To learn more about MC² and learn where it will be displayed, please visit www.preventionfirst.org.
If you would like more information on this initiative or our Community Impact work, please contact Christine Jagerburger, Director of Community Impact at cjagerburger@uwmonmouth.org or 732-938-5988 ext. 14
