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The Gem Project, Inc.

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The Gem Project, Inc.

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Leadership. Education .Youth & Young Adults. Action: http://thegemproject.org

The Gem Project works to improve high school to college student engagement, while supporting on-time graduation rates, through peer-mentoring, employment, youth organizing and service-learning initiatives that take on a social justice approach. Visit Us:
http://THEGEMPROJECT.ORG http://twitter.com/THEGEMPROJECT http://instagram.com/THEGEMPROJECT

09/28/2026

Twenty years in, and we're just getting started!

Please join us in welcoming three new powerhouse leaders to The Gem Project Board of Directors:

✨ Anthony Frasier, Newark-born media entrepreneur opening doors for young creators of color
✨ Jeff Furman, Ben & Jerry's Foundation co-founder and four decades of business-for-justice leadership
✨ Zandi Zungu, turnaround CEO who has strengthened nonprofits on two continents

They join a board already built on vision and commitment: Sandra Florent (Interim Board Chair), Lana Perez, and Dr. Timothy K. Eatman. Thank you for leading the way.

Together, this board is ready to carry what young people have built in Newark further than ever.

Read full announcement here:https://thegemproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/TGP-Press-Release-New-Directors-FY27.pdf

Young people aren't the leaders of tomorrow. They're leading today. 💚

09/09/2026

📢 Some news worth celebrating.

Please join me in congratulating Jennymarie Idrobo, who has stepped into the role of Program Manager at The Gem Project, Inc.

Jennymarie's journey with us began six years ago, as a young person in our programs. From there she rose through nearly every seat in our program work: College Fellow Facilitator, Facilitator, and full-time Program Associate, and now she leads our youth programming as Program Manager.

Her path is the living proof of what we believe at The Gem Project, Inc. Young people are not recipients of a program. They are the organizers, the builders, and the leaders of what comes next. Jennymarie came up through this work, and now she is shaping it for the next generation of young people who will follow the road she walked.

Jennymarie, this is so well earned. We are proud of you, and we cannot wait to see all you will do in this role.

04/14/2026

🔉 The Youth Power Action Summit hit different.

A vibrant room full of joy and laughter. A packed stage. A fireside chat with Newark's School Board candidates where young people asked the questions that actually mattered. Joy, power, and policy in the same room.

Now we take it to the polls.

Free rides. Free meal. Your vote. 🗳️
Book yours: http://bit.ly/freeridestovote

📷 - Fresco Alessandro

04/11/2026

With over 100+ youth attending today's youth-led coalition event: the Youth Summit & Fireside Chat with School Board Candidates.

We have closed RSVPs, however, you may still attend but priority will be given to those who RSVP'd. Your admission for seating will be 15 minutes to the start time.

***The summit starts at 12 PM and Fireside Chat with Candidates starts at 4:00 PM.

***Therefore, those who did not RSVP ahead note the following:
12:15 PM, if you are younger than age 25 or official YPA allies.

***If older than age 25, 4:15 PM.

The location is as follows:
The Heart Ballroom
37-39 Bloomfield Avenue
Newark, New Jersey 07104

Parking:
Limited street parking is available on first come and serve basis. DO NOT park in the lot next to the building.

Public Transportation:
The venue is accessible via NJ Transit bus lines 11, 28, GO28, 29, and 72, with stops at Bloomfield Ave and Clifton Ave, about one block away. You can also take the Newark Light Rail to the Bloomfield Avenue Station nearby.

03/22/2026

W/ YOUTH POWER ACTION COALITION ~ Canvassing with youth within the South and West Wards, distributing 2000 literature on the upcoming school board elections, occurring in Newark, New Jersey. Leaders recap their experience with each other stopping by Clinton Hill Community Action Community Grocery Store.

03/19/2026

And just like that, we launched 15 players with THEIR collective goal to reach 450 young people.

Each player is equipped with recruitment packets, scripts, text outreach, and flyers. They are ready.

This is one of many strategies we are using to build toward a more equitable civic space, where youth voice is not just heard, but championed and valued.

The vision is bigger than this moment. Youth have the potential to become one of the most powerful voting blocs in our communities. That kind of power is built intentionally, and it will last long after the spotlight fades.

The average goal per player is 25 young people.

Some players lead PTAs. Others lead youth programs. Many are youth themselves.

That is what makes this powerful.

Now, let the games begin 🏆

03/17/2026

Youth — this is your space.

Youth Power Action Summit
📅 April 11 | 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

✔ Civic Workshops
✔ Real conversations
✔ Youth from across the city
✔ Fireside Chat with School Board Candidates (members of community welcome here at 4:00-5:30 PM).

Ages 14–24 only.
👉 RSVP: http://youthpowersummit.com
------
🎤 Student-Led School Board Candidate Fireside Chat (segment within the summit)
📅 April 11 | 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
* This segment is open to the community, all others are youth only, no age restrictions for the fireside chat segment but must RSVP.

✔ Learn how decisions impact students
✔ Hear directly from candidates
✔ Ask questions that matter

👉 RSVP: http://youthpowerchats.com

03/07/2026

It is always a special moment when we register a young person to vote.

Jaeden is no different.

Youth #237 on Youth Power Action Coalition, he is 17, Newark resident and is voting for the FIRST time in the school board election.

He looked up his polling location and we tracked it.
Why? By any means necessary Jaeden will get to the polls!
He is also a part of Kaleena Berryman's Newark Youth Career Pathways's student advisory board. He said he heard about the policy movements of YPA, now he is a member -- now he is also a registered VOTER.

He felt so proud in the end. It makes the long days worth it. Tomorrow, youth will be out canvassing again 11-2 PM Saturday and Sunday.

We released this clip this week.

This is the time to tap into youth energy, curiosity and self-determination.

10/18/2025

Today we are attending the Pencils Up Write Your Freedom Conference, led by Mumtaz Cooper, founder of the nonprofit organization Pencils Not Prisons.

Mumtaz Cooper was recently admitted as a 2025–2026 The Gem Project, Inc. High School Fellow. She is also a Carnegie Fellow with our colleagues at the Institute for Institute for Citizens & Scholars and serves on the Board of the Sadie Nash Leadership Project.

About Pencils Not Prisons:
A youth-led movement reimagining justice, one idea at a time.
We are students, storytellers, and policy shifters committed to ending cycles of incarceration and building futures rooted in equity, education, and community. From advocacy workshops to youth-led hackathons, we are here to make noise and make change.

For today’s sold-out, free conference at The People’s Forum in New York City, Mumtaz has made it accessible for many young people by covering meals, honorariums for youth speakers, travel reimbursements, and more — and she has not even graduated high school yet.

We are beyond excited to learn and grow alongside her at this powerful gathering to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.

In addition, our The Gem Project, Inc. high school fellow Fatoumata Bah and program associate Jenny Idrobo are co-leading a workshop on the Accountability Scorecard for Elected Officials, titled Nothing About Us Without Us: Building a Youth-Led Accountability Scorecard.

04/15/2025

POWER TO THE POLLS

NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS -- IS HAPPENING, RIGHT NOW!

Polls Open: 7:00 AM and Close: 8:00 PM

YOUR VOICE MATTERS.

In this historic election, youth age 16 and 17, can vote!

1) Find your polling place: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/polling-place-search

2) Review the crash course, see the candidates running: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIeFtcmuVzD/

3) VOTE!!!!

4) If age 16-24, join a youth-led movement: Youth Power Action at http://youthpoweraction.com

Address

PO Box 32322
Newark, NJ
07102

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 6pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.thegemproject.org/

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