Strong Healthy Communities Initiative

The Strong Healthy Communities Initiative (SHCI) in Newark, NJ, is a cross-sector institutional partnership that aims to close the education “opportunity gap” in Newark by improving child health and well-being as a lever to greater student achievement. It is the vision of SHCI and our partners to ensure that all Newark children, regardless of income, are healthy and ready to learn.

As part of The Living Cities Integration Initiative (TII), and through the generous support of the Prudential Foundation, SHCI uses a policy change and a cohesive, “one-table” collective impact approach to tackle complex social problems that challenge the success of Newark’s public school system and deteriorating structural environments of Newark’s low-income neighborhoods. The partners of SHCI aim to rebuild and stabilize Newark’s neighborhoods, align public policy and private investments to sustain innovations and create lasting systemic change to improve student success in all of Newark’s schools.