North Star Academy Celebrates Two Decades Of Educational Success at Top-10 Sports and Entertainment Venue Prudential Center

North Star Academy’s “Aligning The Stars” event featuring rapper Common, Mayor of Newark Ras J. Baraka, Senator Cory Booker and more!

North Star Academy, a leading Newark charter school that has played a critical role in helping to provide exceptional educational opportunities to youth in the city of Newark and beyond celebrated their 20^th Anniversary at Prudential Center. The June 5 celebration featured performances and special appearances by three-time GRAMMY award winning artist Common, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and Mayor of Newark Ras J. Baraka. 

Founded in 1997 by James Verrilli and Norman Atkins, North Star Academy serves largely low-income, minority students. Currently, North Star Academy has 5,000 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12^th grade in 13 schools across the city of Newark including six elementary schools, five middle schools and two high schools. Students who attend the schools partake in a 10-month extended day academic program that gives them the means to beat the odds in school and life. Thanks to their dedicated staff and robust class-offerings, North Star students graduate from college at five times the rate of the average population of low-income students. Recently, North Star Academy was ranked the top high school in the city of Newark and 13^th in New Jersey by US News and World Report.

The event was hosted by Q-Mack, NBA All-Star Entertainer and featured student performances throughout the night. Julie Jackson, Chief School Officer for Uncommon Schools, welcomed the crowd and Newark Mayor, Ras J. Baraka, showed his support for the schools and celebrate their unwavering commitment to the cities they serve.

Common delivered the Keynote address with a special performance. Founders Verrilli and Atkins made appearances throughout the ceremony with a special video message from U.S. Senator Cory Booker.