Rutgers University Camden serves Camden City K-12 students and families seeking engaging and rigorous educational experiences, both during and outside of the school day, that will provide a pathway to higher education. From afterschool and tutoring initiatives to pre-college school year and summer programs, K-12 education partnerships help prepare Camden youth for post-secondary success.
The Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement’s K–12 Education Partnerships focus on leveraging University resources to create academically enriching programming for students in grades 3 through 12. These programs create educational pathways to increase the number of underrepresented students from the city of Camden who apply, enroll, and successfully complete post-secondary education.
The Rutgers–Camden Schools Partnership Program (RU IGNITE) is a collaboration between Rutgers University–Camden and the Camden City School District. The partnership serves over 200 3rd-8th grade students and their families during out of school time programming. IGNITE is a 21st Century Community Learning Center and is in its 3rd 5-year cycle being funded through the NJDOE. It uses a university-assisted community schools approach.
The Rutgers Accelerate & Renew Academy (RARA) is a tutoring and mentoring program empowering school students in Camden City. RARA addresses the learning loss that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide students with high-quality academic support and social-emotional growth.
Providing the support and guidance needed to students and their families, the Hill Center helps to ensure access to and preparation for success in college.
The Rutgers Future Scholars Program introduces economically disadvantaged, academically promising middle school students from Rutgers’ four host communities—New Brunswick, Piscataway, Newark, and Camden—to the promise and opportunities of a college education.
The Rutgers–Camden Schools Partnership Program (RU IGNITE) is a collaboration between Rutgers University–Camden and the Camden City School District. The partnership serves over 200 3rd-8th grade students and their families during out of school time programming. IGNITE is a 21st Century Community Learning Center and is in its 3rd 5-year cycle being funded through the NJDOE. It uses a university-assisted community schools approach.
IGNITE’s mission is to develop 3rd-8th grade Camden scholar-leaders through STEAM, civic and community engagement, college and career exploration with year-round support, mentoring, and programming.
Working in collaboration with school leadership, staff, families, and community organizations, the goal of the partnership is to increase student achievement by providing an integrated system of partnerships that promote academic success, support positive social and emotional development, and engage families and community members in an effort to strengthen their neighborhood.
Modeled after an approach developed by the Netter Center of Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania, the university-assisted community school initiative is focused on mobilizing the vast resources of the University in service to the students and families of the Camden community. This partnership also advances the teaching, research, and service mission of the University and the civic development of our undergraduate and graduate students.
IGNITE offers out of school time programming for over 200 scholars in grades 3-8 at Cooper’s Poynt and Thomas H. Dudley family schools during the academic year and serves over 50 scholars during the summer in the month of July on the Rutgers Camden campus. The program is staffed by school-based certified teachers, social workers, paraprofessionals, education ambassadors (trained Rutgers students), facilitators, community partners, AmeriCorps members and other volunteers. IGNITE provides daily academic enrichment such as: ELA/Math remediation, homework help, tutoring, and 6-week project-based learning clubs. It offers all scholars opportunities in fitness and sports, STEM, visual and performance art, student council, career and college exploration, civic engagement projects and community service opportunities.
During the summer, over 50 IGNITE scholars come to Rutgers University–Camden to experience life on a college campus and participate in fun, project-based learning clubs facilitated by Rutgers faculty, staff, and students.
Funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program through the New Jersey Department of Education, IGNITE inspires scholars to begin their journey towards higher education. IGNITE is the beginning of the cradle to college pipeline.
Rutgers–Camden IGNITE is made possible through a five-year 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program grant from the New Jersey Department of Education and was awarded for the first time in fall of 2012. In fall 2024, IGNITE will be going into its 3rd year of its 3rd cycle.
For more information on how to contribute to programming, please reach out to Senior Program Administrator (Tinishia Bass) tbass@camden.rutgers.edu
For more information about the RU IGNITE program, please contact:
Rutgers Accelerate & Renew Academy (RARA) is a transformative tutoring and mentorship program for students in Camden City, aiming to break down barriers through high-quality academic support and social-emotional growth. Collaborating with local schools and non-profits, RARA provides targeted mentoring and tutoring for Camden City Youth, focusing on essential skills like goal-setting, time management, and effective study habits. Currently, 87 scholars have benefited from personalized, twice-weekly tutoring sessions.
For More Information: Amanda DeBellis, M.S., Program Coordinator (RARA) at Amanda.debellis@rutgers.edu
The Hill Family Center for College Access at Rutgers University–Camden seeks to create a more robust college-going culture in the city of Camden and the region by providing the support and guidance needed to students and their families to ensure access to and preparation for success in post-secondary education.
The Hill Center strives to be the go-to source of pre-college assistance and information for local students, families, and schools.
The Hill Center provides college preparation workshops in high schools and on campus for students in grades 11 and 12, students we call Strivers. Trained undergraduate and graduate students serve as Ambassadors, assisting the Strivers and their families in understanding higher education options, exploring career and academic interests, and securing secure financial aid through scholarships and FAFSA completion.
One-on-one support and mentoring is provided to Strivers in completing personal statements, building resumes, securing recommendations, and managing deadlines. Strivers can participate in college visits, SAT preparation courses, and tutoring.
Since opening in 2011, the Hill Center has served more than 1,000 Strivers in and around the city of Camden.
For younger students, the Hill Center offers workshops to students in grades 6–10 to build early college awareness using the Sallie Mae Kids2College curriculum and provides on-campus tours at Rutgers–Camden to expose students to college life.
We assist students and their families in making thoughtful decisions regarding post-secondary education. The staff of the Hill Family Center serve as guides to students and families about the range of post-secondary options available based on the interests of the student. We will never make a decision for you; we will help you come to a comfortable decision about next steps.
We provide hands-on workshops engaging students in real life scenarios to educate and prepare them for post-secondary opportunities and challenges to assist students in understanding how to make the best decisions.
Parents and legal guardians are strongly encouraged to come to the Hill Family Center and be active participants in the post-secondary transition process of their child.
The Hill Family Center is located in the lower level of the Paul Robeson Library on the campus of Rutgers University–Camden.
Rutgers University-Camden
67 Penn Street
Camden, NJ 08102
The Hill Family Center for College Access was founded through the generosity of twin brothers Washington and George Hill, who grew up in Camden and graduated from Rutgers University–Camden.
Washington Hill is an internationally recognized expert in high-risk maternal-fetal medicine. After earning his M.D. from Temple University, he served as a medical officer in the U.S. Army before launching his private practice. He served as the 65th president of the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious associations in that field.
George Hill is a scholar whose molecular and biochemical research has advanced biomedical science worldwide. He earned his M.S. degree from Howard University and his Ph.D. from New York University, and was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Cambridge University. He also was elected a fellow to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Microbiology.
Both brothers are members of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a Rutgers graduate
The Rutgers Future Scholars Program introduces economically disadvantaged, academically promising middle school students from Rutgers’ four host communities—New Brunswick, Piscataway, Newark, and Camden—to the promise and opportunities of a college education.
At Rutgers Future Scholars, we believe that access to higher education not only changes the lives of our students, but also has the power to change entire communities.
Each year, the Rutgers Future Scholars program offers 215 first-generation, low-income, academically promising middle school students from New Brunswick, Piscataway, Newark, Camden and Rahway the opportunity for a college education.
In the summer before their 8th grade year, students become part of a unique pre-college culture of university programming, events, support, and mentoring that will continue through their high school years, and eventually college.
Students who successfully participate in the five-year program and are accepted into Rutgers University, will receive a tuition assistance scholarship, after all federal and state grant aid has been applied. In short, Rutgers Future Scholars offers hope, opportunity, and tuition scholarship. Check out our Summer Academy at RFS-Camden