Montclair education resources

Are there any free or low-cost in-person programs for my children while I’m at work?

The Montclair Community Enrichment Center is an in-person learning center for children of working parents, located at the Wally Choice Community Center in Glenfield Park and run by the Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation. Enrollment is free for families that qualify for free or reduced school lunch. For more information, please contact MNDC, 973-744-9094.

The Geyer Family YMCA has an in-person child care program that assists children with their virtual schoolwork and provides enrichment activities. Scholarships are available. For more information, visit their website or contact Kim Burrows at kburrows@montclairymca.org .

Programs for Parents offers various financial assistance programs to help low income parents, guardians, and foster parents in Essex County pay for child care, preschool, or after school programs. For more information, visit their website or call 973-297-1114.

How can I find free or low-cost virtual education resources?

Succeed2gether offers free one-on-one virtual tutoring to students in grades K – 12 in math, language arts, social studies, and science. For more information, visit their website, contact Candy Cooper at ccooper@succeed2gether.org , or call 973-746-0553 or 973-746-0556.

IMANI offers low-cost study groups for students of color in grades 9 – 12. There are groups for various courses, including Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, English, and History. For more information, contact info@imaniprograms.org or call 973-509-2822.

The Montclair Public Library offers extensive virtual resources, events, and classes for children, teens, and adults.
- For live virtual classes and events, visit their events calendar.
- For pre-recorded virtual classes and research resources, visit their online resources page.
- For school subject practice resources, visit the EBSCO Learning Express School Center.

Homeschooling support groups, like New Jersey Homeschool Support and New Jersey Homeschool Group, provide resources, suggestions, and community for teaching your children from home.

How can I get help applying for and choosing a college?

Succeed2gether offers free virtual one-on-one college essay help. For more information, visit their website, contact info@succeed2gether.org , or call 973-746-0553.

The Common Black College Application is a platform through which students can apply to 60 Historically Black Colleges and Universities at the same time. For more information, visit their website or contact contact@commonblackcollegeapp.com.

The Washington Post published this article with concrete advice on how to get a feel for a college even when you can’t visit in-person.

The Virtual HBCU College Tour offers video tours that include dozens of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. For more information, visit their website or contact info@hbcucollegetour.com.

How can I get help paying for college?

The Montclair Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to Montclair High School college-bound seniors with financial need. For more information, visit their website or contact info@montclairscholarshipfund.org.

The Alpha Alpha Lambda Scholarship and Educational Foundation awards scholarships to college-bound young Black men in Essex County. For more information, visit their website.

The Montclair Office of School Counseling has a list of local, regional, and national scholarships for high school seniors. For more information, visit their website or call 973-509-4100 and ask for School Counseling.

Scholarship America is a platform that offers dozens of scholarships from various foundations and companies. For more information, visit their website or call 202-517-6333.

The UNCF offers numerous scholarships, programs, internships, and fellowships, especially for African American students. For more information, visit their website or call 202-810-0258.

The SAGE Scholars Tuition Rewards in a program in which families who save or invest at a participating bank or work at a participating employer can earn rewards points to redeem as scholarships at one of over 400 participating private colleges. Families must enroll in the program before their child enters 12th grade. For more information, visit their website.

A note from the National Center for Homeless Education:

If your family lives in any of the following situations:

in a shelter,
in a motel of campground, due to the lack of an alternative adequate accommodation,
in a car, park, abandoned building, or bus or train station,
doubled up with other people due to loss of housing or economic hardship,

your school-age children may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act.

Your eligible children have the right to:

Receive a free, appropriate public education.
Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment.
Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents.
Enroll in a local school or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is your preference.
- If the school district believes that the school you select is not in the best interest of your children, then the district must provide you with a written explanation of its position and inform you of your right to appeal its decision.
Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this.
Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children’s needs.

If you believe your children may be eligible, you can contact Pheobie Thomas, McKinney-Vento/Migrant Education Program NJ State Coordinator, at Pheobie.Thomas@doe.nj.gov or 609-376-3515 to find out what services and supports may be available. There may also be supports for your preschool-age children.

Can you suggest another resource we should include?

Feel free to email us at aidmontclairmutual@gmail.com