I N N O V A T E
N E W
J E R S E Y
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AN EVEN BRIGHTER TOMORROW OUR KIDS, OUR FUTURE: INVESTING IN THE WHOLE PERSON New Jersey’s contribution to innovation and human advancement will continue to grow stronger because the people and leaders of this state highly value the role of education. New Jersey ranks first in the nation in public school education, first in high school graduates moving on to post-secondary education, and first in city-based pre-school education. And while New Jersey ranks at or near the top in many other important education measures, it is also leading the nation in fostering whole-child health and development, a commitment to nurturing mind, body, and spirit from earliest childhood through young adulthood. Today, New Jersey’s youngest children are better prepared to thrive when they enter kindergarten due to programs like Grow NJ Kids—a state-sponsored initiative that helps raise the quality of early learning and child care centers so that children can build vocabulary and develop their cognitive and social skills. New Jersey’s commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education has expanded to STEAM, where the “A” represents the arts. The development of body movement through dance, auditory memory through music, and creative expression through drama, poetry, and the visual arts develops the whole brain, stimulates creativity, and enhances confidence and team problem-solving. Organizations like Young Audiences of New Jersey bring participatory programming with teaching artists to hundreds of New Jersey’s schools every year to open minds to cultural and creative exploration. The state is also leading the way in providing more access to a college education, regardless of income constraints, through its high-quality county college system. Apprenticeships are moving beyond the traditional trades to include IT so that colleges and employers can expand their capacity to train the next generation of programmers and network engineers. As each new day dawns on New Jersey’s shore, it brings more promise and opportunity for all who call the Garden State home.
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