NJCSSA Becomes a Non-Profit

A significant milestone was reached on April 26 when the NJCSSA was incorporated. This was the result of the excellent legal support we received from the Community Law Clinic of Rutgers University Law School. On March 13, the NJCSSA contracted with the Community Law Clinic to provide legal services with respect to drafting and filing Articles of Incorporation for the NJCSSA as a non-profit entity, drafting its bylaws and applying for an EIN and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The NJCSSA would like to recognize Robert C. Holmes, Esq., Director of the Community and Transactional Lawyering Clinic and Nicole Dlugosz, a student at the law school for their excellent counsel. Corporate non-profit status is particularly important for funding purposes and the NJCSSA’s growth opportunities.

The purposes for which the NJCSSA is organized are summarized in Article I, section 2 of its bylaws. They are:

1. To teach high-school students from Newark and other diverse communities the fundamentals of computer science through teaching styles and methods that encourage independent thought and learning;

2. To open doors for students by giving them the skills to create opportunities and obtain experiences at an earlier stage in life that will make them more aware of their talents, which may lead them into a professional career or internships in the computer science field, or to use the computer skills they learn in their future educational or vocational endeavors; and

3. To provide local high school students with volunteer opportunities to teach computer science classes, which will allow them to gain valuable skills such as public speaking skills, leadership skills, and time-management skills.

I and the NJCSSA’s directors look forward to building an organization that will supplement educational resources in computer science and enhance opportunities for high school students who plan to focus on computer science as a career.

Ben Campbell
[email protected]