Newark Resident Leadership Academy (NRLA) 2022 Applications Open November 2021

Established by Greater Newark LISC (GNL) in 2016, Newark Resident Leadership Academy (NRLA) is a free leadership development program for Newark residents interested in building skills and relationships to impact positive change in their neighborhood.

This quarter, nearly 40 residents graduated from the training program, increasing the total number of resident-leaders who have completed NRLA since its inception to almost 200! NRLA is also a critical program that furthers the TNI goals of GNL to support neighborhood issue-based projects implemented by grassroots resident leaders. Given the limitations posed by the pandemic, we commend the resiliency of our partners and participants for completing the 2021 program in an entirely virtual environment!

Over six months, NRLA features nearly a dozen hands-on workshops hosted by: local community engagement practitioners and organizers, advocates, and change agents. Participants engage in peer-to-peer networks and collaborative action projects to strengthen their relationships with neighbors and CDC partners. Residents are organized into neighborhood-level teams and are eligible to receive a $2,000 community change grant to transform their ideas into impact.

Greater Newark LISC works with neighborhood CDC partners to provide community coaching for each team and technical assistance for project planning and implementation. This year, we tapped the hyper focused support of key partners: Clinton Hill Community Action; La Casa de Don Pedro; Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District; and the Urban League of Essex County 2021 NRLA Teams plan to implement the grassroots projects proposed below:

• Clinton Hill Neighborhood Team will build and activate a community tool shed.
  Centrally located on 304 West Runyon St. at Timothy Williams Garden, the lending-based shed will stock tools and equipment available at no charge for any Clinton Hill neighbor looking to maintain their homes and blocks; creating gardens, trimming trees and repairing fences.
• Lincoln Park Neighborhood Team will create an intergenerational digital platform to highlight neighborhood assets and restore the history of Lincoln Park.
  The proposed project aims to bridge: arts and culture to community engagement, neighborhood revitalization, and local economic development.
• Lower Broadway Neighborhood Team will increase broadband connection accessibility and affordability for the Lower Broadway community.
  The team proposes to establish a community-based network starting with one antenna and eventually expanding into what we call a MESH network, together with local partners and resident leaders.
• Fairmount Heights Neighborhood Team will host consecutive neighborhood clean-up and beautification projects.
  Focused on improving quality of life, increasing community engagement and strengthening ties between residents, public safety offices and law enforcement.