Greater Newark Conservancy

The Greater Newark Conservancy (GNC) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Newark, NJ with the stated goal of promoting "environmental stewardship to improve the quality of life in New Jersey's urban communities." It offers programs for youth education, community greening and gardening, nutritional health, job training, and prisoner re-entry.

Educational programs

The GNC provides programs on youth education and nutritional health and cooking. In the Demonstration Kitchen program, participants are provided instruction on cooking with recipes having high nutritional value.

The Newark Youth Leadership Program (NYLP) provides training to high school students in Newark through a year-round program on horticulture. The NYLP also includes a summer internship program where high school students are assigned to various departments in the GNC organization in order to gain experience with career-related skills. The summer interns also receive training on finance, public speaking, and nutrition.

Urban farming

One GNC initiative is to bolster and support urban farms in Newark, NJ. The urban farms were created with the purpose of offering low-cost and healthy foods in Newark. Participants also have the option of growing their food in one of 360 private plots. In 2011, the urban farms administered by GNC generated 5,000 pounds of produce. The produce is sold in local farmers' markets. Crops raised include arugula, beets, and corn. Other related programs include raising chickens and maintaining a honey bee apiary.

Schools in Newark, including the Hawthorne Avenue School, have partnered with GNC to offer students education on growing food and also as a source of healthy food in place of "junk foods" that are routinely consumed.

Job training

The GNC is a community partner for the City of Newark's prisoner re-entry programs where job training is provided to ex-offenders through its Clean and Green program. They include cleaning vacant lots in Newark, labor in maintaining urban farms, and offering instruction to school groups on the basics of farming.

Urban environmental center

The GNC conducts its activities primarily at the Judith L. Shipley Urban Environmental Center, the Prudential Outdoor Learning Center, and at its Main education building. Many educational programs take place at the The Judith L. Shipley Urban Environmental Center. This center was named after Judith Shipley who along with her husband Walter Shipley, was a major donor to the GNC. The Prudential Outdoor Learning Center is 1.5 acre site located on Prince Street in Newark and contains a series of outdoor exhibits and thematic gardens. This center was funded by a bequest from the Prudential Foundation, which is the charity arm of the Prudential Financial Life Insurance Company that is headquartered in Newark, NJ.

External links

• Greater Newark Conservancy - official site