NJCF held a retreat at The Uplands in October of 2021 with their Executive Director, Deputy Director and three other members of their team.

New Jersey Children’s Foundation (NJCF)’s mission is to invest in people, programs, and partnerships that will improve public education systems by putting the interests of children first.  Their vision is that each and every child will break down the walls of inequity through the creation of high-quality public education systems.

Having a limited amount of time at The Uplands, the group prioritized team building, organizational planning, and wellness practices. During the morning period after a gentle yoga class, the group engaged in various storytelling exercises, including “the story of self” and “the story of us” to discuss their personal histories and motivations for working for equitable education and the nascent organization’s recent history. The afternoon session allowed the group to review the organization’s Strategic Plan, mission, vision and organizational identity, and to define annual goals for the coming work-year.

We are grateful to the New Jersey Children’s Foundation for their tireless work to improve educational choice, quality and access, and look forward to seeing them realize the goals they identified during their retreat, as well as their wider mission.