The Provident Bank Foundation (PBF) has announced Center for Supportive Schools (CSS) as the recipient of the Foundation’s $50,000 Signature Grant for 2017 in the Education funding priority area.

Center for Supportive Schools was selected to receive this Signature Grant for its work in the Education Services focus area and the funding will enable three schools in Jersey City – Julia A. Barnes School (PS 12 - Journal Square), Gladys Nunery School (PS 29 – West Side) and Frank R. Conwell Middle School (MS 4 - Downtown) – access to a statewide initiative known as Campaign Connect-New Jersey (CC-NJ).

CC-NJ equips schools with the tools and resources to strengthen and transform their climate and culture to effectively meet the social and emotional needs of all students; accelerate student achievement; and create safer and more supportive, engaging, and inspiring learning environments for students. The grant will be used to specifically establish and maintain stakeholder teams at each school, conduct facilitator training, help create a school network collectively engaged in the certification process, and organize a network-wide annual summit showcasing accomplishments and best practices.

“Access to quality academic support, which is exactly what Center for Supportive Schools is doing through Campaign Connect, is critical in the field of education,” said Jane Kurek, Executive Director, The Provident Bank Foundation. “It is also our mission at the Foundation to give people of all ages as many tools and knowledge as possible to prosper.”

This project has the capacity to impact more than 2,000 community members of Jersey City Public Schools (JCPS), including students, their families, faculty and staff of PS12, PS 29 and MS4, along with community organizations. While 70% of JCPS students identify as economically disadvantaged, the district is committed to providing a safe, well-maintained, and nurturing environment for all students. CC-NJ will be an important tool for JCPS in its ongoing work to create powerful opportunities for all members of its school communities.

“Center for Supportive Schools invigorates climate and culture work in schools in recognition of the positive impact of a healthy school climate on the development of children, including their academic achievement,” says Daniel Oscar, CEO of CSS. “Our partner schools have reported as much as an 89.5% decrease in Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) incidents and a 36.5% decrease in suspensions. We are thrilled to work with The Provident Bank Foundation and Jersey City Public Schools to help improve educational outcomes across the district.”

CSS's mission is to develop, disseminate, and promote peer leadership, advisory, and other evidence-based K-12 solutions that enable and inspire schools to more fully engage students in learning, better connect students to their schools, motivate and equip students to make decisions responsibly, and accelerate academic achievement. Their goal is to create safer, more supportive, engaging, and inspiring schools to reengage the unacceptably large number of disengaged students, a critical step to enabling and inspiring their leadership and their success.

The Foundation will present the check during a presentation on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at 11:45 a.m. at the Jersey City Board of Education located at 346 Claremont Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07305. Among those joining PBF Executive Director Jane Kurek include PBF President and Provident Bank President and CEO Christopher Martin, Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marcia Lyles, Jersey City Public Schools Assistant Superintendent/Director of Enterprise Division Dr. Madga Savino, Center for Supportive Schools President and CEO Daniel Oscar, Center for Supportive Schools Vice President Dr. Abby Attias, and Center for Supportive Schools Executive Director – New Jersey Catherine Nti.

For more information about PBF, visit www.ProvidentNJFoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.

About The Provident Bank Foundation

The Provident Bank Foundation was established in 2003 by Provident Bank to enhance the quality of life in the region through support of not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services in communities served by the Bank. Since inception, the Foundation has granted more than $22 million to not-for-profit organizations and institutions working toward stronger communities. For more information about The Provident Bank Foundation, visit www.ProvidentNJFoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.