About

Our Story

Horizons was brought to Newark in 2010 by Philips Education Partners and became its own 501c3 nonprofit organization in 2017. What began with just 10 children has grown to serve 135 Newark students year-round over the past 15 years.

During this journey, we've expanded from a summer-only program to providing year-round academic and social-emotional support for Newark students. In 2020, we launched our school-year tutoring program with support from the Wilf Family Foundations to address pandemic-related learning loss, creating a continuous circle of support for our students.

Our swimming program has become a signature element of our summer experience, with 100% of students learning to swim by summer's end, helping close opportunity gaps in access to swim education. We've also developed partnerships with organizations like NJPAC, First Tee, and AlphaMinds Academy to bring arts, golf, and chess programming to our students.

Throughout our 15 years of service, we've maintained an unwavering commitment to providing these experiences at no cost to families, with 100% of our students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Our dedicated board, staff, and community partners work together to ensure every Horizons student has the opportunity to explore, learn, and grow.

The Horizons Approach

Our programming is guided by core principles that create transformative experiences for students:

• Joyful Learning: We make education engaging, creative, and fun
• Whole-Child Focus: We develop academic, social-emotional, and physical well-being
• Community Building: We foster meaningful relationships between students, staff, and families
• High Expectations: We challenge students to reach their full potential
• Long-Term Commitment: We maintain relationships with students across multiple years

Horizons Newark is an affiliate of Horizons National, a network of programs across the country dedicated to closing opportunity gaps through high-quality academic enrichment.