Paterson Alliance Inc

Programs: Think pre-k! The paterson alliance gathered more than 20 members and stakeholders to see how we could increase pre-k enrollment in paterson. There were many reasons that only 70% of eligible children are enrolled in free pre-k - from logistics to language barriers; from cultural concerns to not knowing it was available. We designed a 3-pronged approach:1. We created an interactive childcare and early education map (www. Patersonchildcaremap. Org) to show us where the kids are, where the seats are, and where the gaps are. 2. We created a think pre-k! Campaign with a website (www. Patersonprek. Org), flyers, posters, postcards, backpack stuffers, and newspaper and radio ads. These tools are available in english, spanish, arabic and bengali. 3. We trained pre-k navigators to go into their communities and let families in paterson know about early brain development, benefits of enrolling in pre-k, and how to navigate the bureaucracy of enrollment. We made sure to have navigators fluent in english, spanish, arabic, bengali, urdu, hindi, and punjabi, so they could better communicate and relate to families they meet. The results are promising. In the fall of 2017, 337 additional children enrolled in pre-k, an increase to 77% enrollment.

capacity buildingthe paterson alliance offers capacity building and leadership training to its members. Workshop offerings include fundraising strategies, finding and getting grants, recruiting and developing strong boards, nonprofit finance, strategic planning and advocacy in the nonprofit arena. In addition, there are opportunities to participate in collaborative working groups, peer circles and in board/staff retreats.

strategic plan:a strategic plan was created to define goals, strategies and action items for: 1. Coordination, collaboration and partnership of paterson alliance members to produce positive outcomes for the citizens of paterson 2. Membership and recruitment of members to the paterson alliance 3. Communication and marketing plan for the paterson alliance 4. Funding and resources5. Organization development and capacity building

apprenticeship programthe paterson alliance hosts an apprenticeship program each summer for nine paterson high school juniors and seniors. The goal of the program is to provide summer employment opportunities to paterson youth, while also offering guidance and preparation for college and career.