JerseyCAN Launches 2024-2025 Fellowship Cohorts

[New Jersey – 21, 2024] JerseyCAN, the only statewide advocacy organization in New Jersey committed to ensuring access to high-quality public schools for every child regardless of zip code, cultural background, and socioeconomic status, formally convened its 2024-25 Teacher Leader Policy Fellowship and Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowship.  JerseyCAN developed the two fellowships to create a statewide mechanism that encourages and trains more education advocates throughout the state.  Both fellowships serve as year-long programs to assist New Jersey teachers and parents to engage in education policy and advocacy. Participants of both fellowships discuss the latest policy trends and issues in New Jersey education and gain a deeper understanding of the state’s education policy landscape by expanding their knowledge of local, state, and national governance.  In addition, both fellowships utilize JerseyCAN’s strong relationships in Trenton to provide multiple opportunities to network with elected leaders and influential educational stakeholders while building strong engagement and advocacy skills. As part of the fellowship, each participant conceptualizes and leads a personal project representing a policy issue related to their passions and interests.

“JerseyCAN launched the NJ Teacher Leader Policy and Parent Champions for Strong Schools fellowships to fuel the development of education improvement each year within the Garden State,” stated JerseyCAN Executive Director Paula White. “As seen in Trenton and locally, parents and teachers speak up because our state’s educational choices and priorities directly impact them. Each group is a key stakeholder, and their voices, ideas, and concerns are vital to shaping our state’s education agenda.  JerseyCAN is filling a needed void for those who want to participate and contribute as advocates, and our Fellowship programs have evolved into one of JerseyCAN’s most impactful initiatives.  Through the years,  our fellows have become influencers in drafting policy with elected leaders and have helped to lead initiatives at the district level to build needed positive change.  We congratulate each of the 2024-25 chosen Fellows and the New Jersey communities they represent.”

Dr. Chelsea Collins and Dr. Scott Oswald will lead both fellowships.  Dr. Collins was named the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) New Jersey State Teacher of the Year in 2015-2016. In addition to once serving as a Language Arts teacher at Woodstown Middle School, she has served as an education consultant to the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association’s NJ Leadership Academy, NJ Tutoring Corps, Learning Forward, and JerseyCAN. Dr. Oswald is a consultant for NJ Tutoring Corps and an Adjunct Faculty member at Rowan University and Stockton University. Dr. Oswald also works with a2z Equity Coaching, coaching school staff and leaders in multiple New Jersey school districts around equity issues, and works with the Rowan School Regionalization Institute to study the potential regionalization of school districts throughout New Jersey.

2024-2025 Teacher Fellows
Senior Fellow: Amanda Morgan, Oaklyn
Hanan Attiyah, Flemington; Emily Bengals, Readington Township;
Jennifer Donnelly, Union City; Colleen Hoyle, Camden;
Erica Berti, Collingswood; Valerie Currais, Stirling;
Anjana Iyer, Hillsborough; Leana Malinowsky, Carteret;
Benjamin Mathews, Camden; Victoria Pepe-Lage, Newark;
Juan Ouviña, West New York; Michelle Orth, Lindhurst

JerseyCAN’s Teacher Leader Policy Fellowship is a year-long statewide program for selected New Jersey teachers to engage in education policy and advocacy.  Teacher leadership keeps our most vital teachers in classrooms, where they are best positioned to positively impact student outcomes.  JerseyCAN believes that teachers who influence education policy and practice while simultaneously teaching students are one of the greatest assets to our education system. Over one year, New Jersey Teacher Leader Policy Fellowship Participants (Fellows) come together to discuss the latest policy trends and issues in New Jersey education.  In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of the state’s education policy landscape and expanding their knowledge of local, state, and national governance, the Fellowship allows the selected teachers to network with elected leaders and influential educational stakeholders and build strong engagement and advocacy skills.  As part of the Fellowship, each teacher conceptualizes and leads a personal project representing a policy issue related to their passions and interests.

2024-2025 Parent Fellows
Senior Fellow: Kadeidra Wongbe, West Orange
Amanda Carpena, Hamilton Township; Tia Cherry, East Orange;
Jonel Giles-Peeden, Newark;  Gabily Gonzalez, Mount Laurel;
Elaine Chin, Rutherford; Yasmin Davis, Newark;
Cathy Hasprunar, Ringwood; Allison James-Frison, Newark;
Parul Khemka, Livingston;  Shenee Omuso, Burlington City

JerseyCAN’s Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowship provides comprehensive training to parents from across the state to become strong advocates in their local communities and gain a deeper understanding of policy creation. Robust parent advocacy to promote ambitious, healthy education policies and practices benefit children throughout the state. JerseyCAN believes parents are the most influential advocates for our young people, and empowering them to be involved in educational decisions brings the best possible outcomes for our students. The Fellowship leverages JerseyCAN’s strong relationships with elected officials and policymakers in Trenton to help bridge deeper communication with parents.  Each Parent Fellow engages in activities that improve students’ educational opportunities and outcomes in New Jersey.  During this Fellowship, the parents will strengthen their organizing and communication skills and develop a deeper understanding of education policy.  As part of the program, The Parent Champions Fellows are guided to build and create their own advocacy initiative at the state or local level.

“JerseyCan’s Fellowships provide a space where like-minded people, parents, and educators care about our state’s education challenges and, more importantly, care about doing something about it, convene and make magic happen. Rather than complaining about ongoing issues in education, we are driven to take action and support one another as we do it. I feel blessed to have been given this opportunity, and I’m eager to see what we all do by the end of this year,” stated Juan Ouviña, West New York Teacher, 2024-25 JerseyCAN’s Teacher Leader Policy Fellowship.

“It is one of my most fulfilling experiences to connect with like-minded individuals dedicated to educational equity. As a JerseyCAN fellow, I am proud to contribute to an authentic, informed, strategic, and passionate voice for all my students and fellow educators,” stated Anjana Iyer, Special Education Chemistry Teacher at Hillsborough High School, 2024-25 JerseyCAN’s Teacher Leader Policy Fellowship.

“During the convening, I was surrounded by passionate educators and parents from all across New Jersey focused on one thing, providing access to high-quality educational opportunities for all students. It was amazing to create connections with the other fellows and to begin our advocacy journey together thanks to JerseyCAN,” stated Amanda Carpena, 2024-25 JerseyCAN’s Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowship.

“95% of children have the capability to read at grade level, but many districts in NJ are showing reading proficiencies of 30 or 40%.  We have the tools to help these children become better readers, and I’m so appreciative of the opportunity to learn how to best advocate for our children in New Jersey,” stated Cathy Hasprunar, 2024-25 JerseyCAN’s Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowship.

About JerseyCAN
JerseyCAN is a nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality educational opportunities for all New Jersey students, regardless of their address. JerseyCAN works with education leaders, parents, students, and other stakeholders from across the state to remove policy barriers and create new proactive policy measures. JerseyCAN has secured key policy wins that have advanced its mission, including more equitable school funding, growth in the number of high-quality new schools in our state—particularly in Newark and Camden—and high standards and aligned assessments. Part of JerseyCAN’s strength as a leader and convener in the education landscape is because of the leadership of our 11-member advisory board; since its inception in 2013, the JerseyCAN board has been co-chaired by former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean and Ann Borowiec, former CEO, J.P. Morgan Private Banking.