GlassRoots, Inc.

We believe that participation in glass art directly contributes to the development of youth’s intellectual and personal capacities. For students who had often been frustrated or failed in school, the experience of success in our studios impresses upon them that learning matters, and thus they become more willing to do the hard work of learning. In addition, students gain a sense that they could be agents of their own learning, and make a positive change in their own lives and in their surroundings. The inherent danger and unpredictability of glass and fire attract many urban youth who might otherwise choose risky behaviors when left unsupervised at home after school or on summer break. Our strategy is to attract and retain these students by offering the most dynamic and challenging program possible.

• 21st Century Learning. This is a leadership-based program with a rotating staff of instructors both on staff at GlassRoots and visiting business professionals. Lessons include such areas as Teamwork, Communication, Problem Solving/Conflict Resolution, Focus & Concentration, Literacy in the Workplace, Time Management, Safety & Emergencies, Personal Identity and Goal Setting.
• Glass Studio Work. Each student cycles through our three art studios, experiencing all areas of glass art: flameworking (glass beading and jewelry making), flat glasswork (mosaics, glass fusing and etching), and glassblowing.
• GlassRoots programs foster STEAM learning among urban teenage high school students to prepare them for professional competitive opportunities. In this program, equal effort is put into pursuing academic learning for enrichment and in stressing the link between employable skills and the skills developed in STEAM and other professional fields.

-Qualified, Trained Engaged Staff
-Dynamic Leadership
-Committed, Engaged Board
-Important buy-in from Newark business, art, educational, nonprofit and government.
-20-yr history of working with Newark Youth
-Partnerships with local community organizations (i.e., Newark One Stop, NJ Seeds, NPS, Ironbound Community Corporation, and more) and with institutions of higher education including Rutgers University, Newark, NJIT and Essex County College
-20 years of successful programs

We continue to work on these goals with our students:
1) increased self-actualization (being able to teach what they learned) -- come from student/parent/family and teacher
2) Increased school attendance (obtained from teacher/school)
3) Increased student engagement in school classes (obtainable from teacher & student); increased participation
3) Demonstrated passion for glass art (and/or other art forms)
4) Preparation for a successful future
5) Evidenced 21st-century skills such as problem solving, communication, mentorship, collaboration, etc.
6) Increased ability in literacy, spoken and written, particularly in public speaking
7) Plans to apply to college