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The North Ward Center

The North Ward Center is a non-profit, community development organization in Newark, N.J., that serves 10,500 people annually. The center runs five preschools in Newark for 680 children, The Robert Treat Academy, a charter school with two locations in Newark, Casa Israel Adult Medical Day Care Center, which serves 120 people daily, a youth leadership and recreation program that offers organized baseball, softball and basketball leagues for 2,500 youth, a Family Success Center and the Latino Outreach Center at Newark Business Training Institute, which offers free-English language training for non-native speakers.

History

The North Ward Center was founded in 1970 by Stephen N. Adubato after the race riots in 1967 that hastened the exodous of Newark's middle class population. Originally known as the North Ward Educational and Cultural Center, it's original mission was to encourage the North Ward's mostly Italian-American population to stay in Newark and provide information to residents about programs and services that were available to them through the city. But as the North Ward's population became predominantly Puerto Rican in the mid to late 1970s, the center changed it's name to reflect a new mission.

The North Ward Center started operations in a small, second-floor office on Bloomfield Avenue in Newark. In 1973, it purchased the former Clark mansion on Mt. Prospect Avenue, a Queen-Anne structure that had previously housed the Prospect Country and Day School. Volunteers refurbished the building, but in 1976, it was struck by lightning, causing extensive damage to the second and third floor. Once again, volunteers refurbished the building. Today, the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places , serves as the administrative offices of the center.

Programs

The North Ward Child Development Center was created in 1975. Today it serves 680 three- and four-year old children in full-day preschool. Because Newark is an Abbott District 600 children receive receive free preschool while the remaining 80 are enrolled in a private preschool called Forest Hills Child Development Center.

Newark Business Training Institute was created in 1980 to provide workforce training to unemployed residents as well as those on welfare. The institute was revamped in 2009 to provide English language training for non-native speakers and is now called the Latino Outreach Center at NBTI.