We have strived for ten years to lead as a higher education presidents’ coalition focused on civic engagement in New Jersey. As Engage NJ, we look to the decade in front of us, and our minds quickly focus on our spheres of influence and shared commitment to graduating tomorrow’s leaders.

So how does our coalition map its path forward? Our purpose is to collaborate and, with urgency, to provide knowledge, experience, and hope to the next generation of public servants, executives, and influencers. We develop the motivation in students to become civically literate, encouraging them to accept the responsibilities of active citizenship. Third, we help students match passion with experience regarding global warming and environmental degradation issues. Finally, we advance the skills necessary to fill career pathways urgent to this generation’s most significant opportunities and challenges.

With Engage NJ, not only can New Jersey’s colleges and universities be engines of economic opportunity, but we can also be ecosystems for equality – transforming opportunities for this generation and those downstream.