All Stars Project of New Jersey

All Stars Project of New Jersey (ASP of NJ) brings innovative, performance-based development opportunities to youth in Newark, Jersey City, and the surrounding area's poorest neighborhoods. All Stars' afterschool programs support young people to grow as leaders and builders of their communities and to see new possibilities for their lives. ASP of NJ was launched in 1999 under the direction of longtime community organizer Gloria Strickland and has since reached thousands of young people and adults in New Jersey. The Scott Flamm Center for Afterschool Development, located in the University Heights section of Newark, serves as the hub of activity for our programs and community involvement. Our programs include: All Stars Talent Show Network (ASTSN), which gives young people ages 5-25 and of all talent levels the chance to produce and perform in Talent Shows in their neighborhoods. Prior to the Talent Show, young people participate in an audition and performance workshop. ASP of NJ and our ensemble of volunteers produce Talent Shows three times annually in neighborhoods who share in All Stars' mission of youth and community development. The Development School for Youth (DSY) connects inner-city young people with the business community through workshops and paid summer internships led by corporate executives. The DSY exposes inner-city youth to people and places outside of their neighborhoods and helps them learn new performances to navigate the broader world. DSY's leading partners in New Jersey include PSEG, Investors Bank, Hartz Mountain Industries, EY, Dun & Bradstreet, Goya Foods, Fidelity Investments and Port Authority. These and other organizations sponsor program graduates in paid summer internships. Operation Conversation: Cops & Kids is All Stars Project's award-winning police-community relations program designed to foster positive interactions between the police and young people from poor communities through performance workshops.