AmeriCorps Swearing in Ceremony

Dr. Donnie W. Evans, Superintendent of Paterson Public Schools, appeared at New Jersey Community Development Corporation’s headquarters on the evening of December 1^st, to administer an oath of service to 33 Members of NJCDC’s Paterson Community Schools Corps (PCSC), the organization’s 16th AmeriCorps class.

In addition to the swearing-in exercise led by Dr. Evans, the event featured remarks by two of the newly initiated AmeriCorps Members, Kevin Force and Nicole Sweeney, NJCDC Founder and President Robert Guarasci, and other AmeriCorps program administrators.

Each year, the national AmeriCorps Program offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve American communities through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups.  NJCDC has been an AmeriCorps grantee since the Program’s inception in 1994. Throughout this time, NJCDC has hosted over 300 AmeriCorps Members; all working to build a better Paterson and a stronger New Jersey.

In its first year of operation, the PCSC symbolizes the organization’s redesigned AmeriCorps Program model, rooted in the nationally-recognized “community schools” model. Community schools are characterized by a set of partnerships that mobilize an array of community resources, such as after school activities, youth development, family support, health and employment, among others.

PCSC Members currently serve Paterson students and families at 5 locations: International High School, Garrett Morgan Academy, Paterson Public Schools #2 and 5, and Community Charter School of Paterson.