GOLD2023

ALL THE WAY UP ADULT EDUCATION CENTER INC

Empowering Adult Learners in Greater Essex Co. New Jersey

Newark, NJ   |  allthewayupnj.org

Mission

All The Way Up Adult Education Center (ATWU) is a mission and service-based organization that offers GED, Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), and Job Readiness classes to underserved populations of Newark, NJ and greater Essex County. We envision a world where people come together to inspire each other to take risks and do something big, co-creating a community where we all live and work to our full potential.

Ruling year info

2018

Executive Director

Christopher Harlow-Jennings

Main address

31 Mulberry St.

Newark, NJ 07102 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

82-5272378

NTEE code info

Adult, Continuing Education (B60)

Employment Training (J22)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

About 23% of Newark’s nearly 200,000 residents over 25 have not achieved a high school diploma—a rate two times the national average. All The Way Up is reversing this trend by empowering adult learners in Newark and Greater Essex County to achieve their High School Equivalency Certification. We provide small-group tutoring with volunteer tutors to better meet the unique needs of each student. This individualized support results in a higher student retention rate than in most traditional, large-scale group GED educational models.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

GED / Adult Basic Education

Small group tutoring and classes for adult learners wishing to pursue their GED (HiSET) and learn basic skills to fin da better job.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Economically disadvantaged people

Learn to read, write, and speak English

Population(s) Served
Immigrants and migrants
Ethnic and racial groups

Professionalism in the workplace, personal finance, G Suite and MS Office training, job search help, and more

Population(s) Served
Adults
Unemployed people

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

For many of our students, education truly has transformative potential. A better education leads to higher-paying jobs and long-term financial stability for our students' families. Our accessible and personalized approach to education helps students overcome the obstacles they face in conventional educational paths as members of under-resourced communities, immigrant communities, and communities of color. Through the collective efforts of our volunteers, teachers, and staff, our dedicated community partners, and the generous support of our donors, we continue to empower adults to create a more equitable and prosperous Newark.

All The Way Up is working hard to provide crucial educational opportunities for adult learners whose needs were not met by conventional educational paths. An individual’s level of educational attainment is directly tied to their financial and professional opportunities and, thus, the economic development of families and the community as a whole. By helping our students get their GED/High School Equivalency Certification, All The Way Up provides them with an essential stepping stone for financial stabilization and increased civic participation: a high school education. With the help of other organizations and foundations, we can make bold long-term changes in the lives of our students and their families.

Not only do we prepare students to take their High School Equivalency Exam, but we also focus on teaching skills that are applicable to everyday life. Our students ultimately leave our program better prepared to get higher-paying jobs, improve their financial health, and become more interactive members of their communities. Our long-term vision is to "put ourselves out of business" by helping the most possible adults get a high school education. We see a future where only a small anomaly of adults in Newark lack a high school education, instead of the current 23%.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time

Financials

ALL THE WAY UP ADULT EDUCATION CENTER INC
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

ALL THE WAY UP ADULT EDUCATION CENTER INC

Board of directors
as of 07/26/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Joe LaVela

Retired, Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc. (currently Nokia, Inc.)

Term: 2021 - 2023

Juli Towell

Retired

Sandonna Jones

Nonprofit

Christie Zipfel

Retired

John Sogliuzzo

Attorney

Iris Schwartz

Retired

Dan Orchant

Retired/KMPG

Joe LaVela

Retired

Susan Fitzgibbon

Essex Fells Schools

David Palumbo

Citizens One

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 7/26/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 07/26/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.