Life on the River

Partnership in Practice Feature // Life on the River

NJIT students are putting service learning into practice through Life on the River, a collaboration between the Albert Dorman Honors College and Newark College of Engineering focused on Newark’s Second River.

Working with community and environmental partners, students are applying engineering, research and design to local challenges involving water quality, flooding, public access and neighborhood use. Their projects include testing biochar to remove contaminants and developing rain gardens, floating wetlands and boardwalk concepts.

Other students are using mapping and immersive technologies to make river conditions, history and proposed improvements easier for residents and decision-makers to understand. The effort gives students hands-on experience while connecting NJIT expertise with priorities identified in the Newark community.

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students from Newark's 2026 Summer Youth Employment Program
Summer Youth Employment Program
students participate in the Gear Up/College Bound program annually
PreCollege-College Bound
participants in the Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics Pre-Apprenticeship Program
Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics

Initiatives in Action

Newark Summer Youth Employment Program at NJIT — The City of Newark’s Summer Youth Employment Program connects young residents with summer work experience. NJIT serves as a worksite partner. In 2026, 77 Newark youth participated across nine NJIT sites, including 55 in programs run by NJIT’s Center for Pre-College Programs.

GEAR UP/College Bound at NJIT — NJIT’s GEAR UP/College Bound program helps Newark students prepare for college through academic support, mentoring, summer programs and college planning. It began as The Consortium for Pre-College Education in Greater Newark/New Jersey College Bound Program in 1986, as a collaboration between the Newark Public Schools and the state of New Jersey. The federal GEAR UP program component was awarded in 1999 to provide additional student services.

Mayor’s Honors Scholars Program — The program supports Newark students entering NJIT’s Albert Dorman Honors College. Each year, up to three incoming students are selected; Mayor’s Scholars receive a housing scholarship in addition to their Honors merit award and take part in a leadership and civic engagement track.

Math Success Initiative — Announced in 2019, the partnership among NJIT, the City of Newark and Newark Public Schools helps Newark high school students strengthen their math skills and prepare for college-level coursework. Students take part in math instruction and college preparation through NJIT.

Newark Future STEM Leaders — The Prudential Financial program is a mentorship and professional development initiative that supports Newark undergraduate students through industry networking, scholarly skill-building, and peer coaching to ensure their academic and career success in STEM fields.

Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics Pre-Apprenticeship — NJIT’s pre-apprenticeship training gives participants hands-on experience and preparation for careers in advanced manufacturing and mechatronics. Workforce partners, including the Newark and Essex County Workforce Development Boards, help connect the program with potential participants.

Paul Profeta Community Entrepreneurship Program — The program offers workshops for aspiring business owners in Newark and beyond, helping participants develop their business ideas and ventures.

Hire.Buy.Live. Newark — NJIT partners with the City of Newark and other local organizations to support Newark’s economy. Through its purchasing efforts, NJIT helps connect university needs with Newark-based businesses.

Digital Skills and Workforce Training — NJIT’s Learning and Development Initiative has partnered with Essex County for residents to improve their digital-literacy training, career support and pathways to industry-recognized credentials. The program includes Newark residents and connects digital skills with employment opportunities.

Newark Design Collaborative — The Newark Design Collaborative brings NJIT faculty and students together with city agencies and community partners to contribute to Newark’s planning and design. Major initiatives in the NDC include Airport City Newark, a collaborative, research- and planning-based initiative that sees NJIT partner alongside academic, community and government entities.

Flooding, Stormwater and Urban Resilience — NJIT’s Center for Natural Resources is working with Newark on green infrastructure, stormwater management and urban heat, including projects at Weequahic Park. Through its REACH program, the center also works with New Jersey communities on flooding and long-term resilience.

Newark Lead Service Line Remediation — NJIT engineers worked with the City of Newark during its lead service line replacement effort, studying ways to limit lead from entering drinking water and analyzing pipe samples. NJIT students also trained to help evaluate replacement work.

Brownfields Planning and Redevelopment — The NJ Brownfields Assistance Center at NJIT helps municipalities and nonprofits plan for the cleanup and reuse of underused properties. In Newark, the center worked with city planners to identify and prioritize brownfield sites for potential remediation and redevelopment.

Civic and Anchor Partnerships — Through its Office of Public and Community Affairs, NJIT participates in civic and economic development efforts including the Newark Anchor Collaborative, Newark Alliance, Newark Downtown Development and the Arts & Education District.