Christie Administration awards
12 Urban Youth
Corps grants to community
and civic organizations
Beautification
projects support NJDOT Clean Up
NJ campaign
(Trenton) - The
Christie Administration today announced
12 Urban Youth Corps grants that
will enable municipal
and community organizations to
provide employment opportunities
to hundreds of young adults as
they develop and carry out projects
to improve the appearance of urban
gateways along or near state highways.
The program, which was resurrected
last year under the Christie Administration,
is being administered by the New
Jersey Department of Transportation's
(NJDOT) Civil Rights office and
is funded by the Federal Highway
Administration.
“The Urban Youth Corps program
helps NJDOT improve the appearance
of our highways while providing
important employment opportunities
to young men and women who face
an assortment of challenges in
their lives,” said NJDOT Commissioner
James Simpson. “The projects
offer the opportunity for the young
adults to take pride in their work
and in their communities.”
The recipients were selected from
among 26 applicants – up from 19
last year – and each will receive
$32,000 grants to cover stipends,
equipment and supplies to carry
out their projects. For the
second straight year, grant recipients
will focus on landscaping, litter
abatement, installation of signage,
graffiti removal and other aesthetic
improvements.
“The enthusiasm and teamwork that
the young adults brought to their
projects last summer, and the sense
of accomplishment they gained,
makes all of us in the Christie
Administration very pleased to
be able to offer this program again,” said
Melanie L. Armstrong, Director
of the NJDOT Division of Civil
Rights and Affirmative Action.
NJDOT has reviewed proposed project
locations for participants' safety
and will provide oversight during
the summer.
The summer Urban Youth Corps program
is an important component of the
Clean Up New Jersey campaign. Since
it was launched in the summer of
2010, Clean Up NJ has included
dozens of concentrated highway
cleanup efforts by nearly 500 NJDOT
maintenance workers; has bolstered
litter pick-up and grass trimming
by deploying Department of Corrections
inmates; has revived the Adopt-A-Highway
program; and has coordinated wildflower
plantings.
Project locations and grantees
Atlantic County
NJ
Youth Corps (Pleasantville)
Camden County
The Work Group (Camden)
Cumberland County
Vineland African American Community
Development Corp. (Vineland)
Essex County
ASPIRA Inc. of NJ (Newark)
Belleville Township (Belleville)
East Orange (East Orange)
Mercer County
Mercer Street Friends (Trenton)
Middlesex County
NJ Youth Corps of Middlesex County
(New Brunswick)
Monmouth County
Neptune Township, MURC & FIRG
(Neptune)
Ocean County
Brick Township (Brick)
Passaic County
Clifton Recreation Department (Clifton)
NJ Youth Corps of Paterson (Paterson) | 
