JNESO would like to alert our members to the Academy for Leadership and Equity, a great, free program for Middle School students.

The Nontraditional Career Resource Center (NCRC) at Rutgers is once again accepting applications from 7^th & 8^th grade students for a tuition-free, 2-day program, The Academy for Leadership and Equity, or TALE.  This intensive career and leadership development program will focus on two key stages of development; career assessment and career exploration.  Activities will include interactive workshops, exploration of careers and nontraditional workplaces through personal stories of trial and triumph from those in nontraditional fields, and leadership skill-building.

In addition, participants will meet other students from throughout their region, participate in team-building exercises, and develop a social action project entitled, Step Up! a call to action to combat the injustices and unfair practices within our schools and community in regards to career growth.  With the guidance of the NCRC staff and associates, students will begin to develop a Step Up! project which will be entirely created and customized for implementation at their school.  The Step Up! project will focus on issues of equity.

We have attached a copy of the current application and informational flyer which include three locations in New Jersey.  More information about the program, including an application, can be found at the NCRC website at http://ncrc.rutgers.edu/do/tale.html.  Thank you for your support and cooperation.