Close Achievement Gaps

High school students, especially low income and minority students, struggle on state and international achievement tests and fall short of college entrance requirements in reading and math.

Concerned for the lack of formal language skills of young people who visited and interviewed for jobs at the founders’ respective companies and aware that communications skills play a major role in achieving academic and career success, the New Jersey Orators (NJO) founders established the first Orators chapter.

NJO’s culturally sensitive, interactive and fun oratorical program closes the achievement gap and helps all students develop college and career-ready skills.

In a national study in 2016, Manhattan Institute found NJO students “demonstrate most significant educational outcomes and self-esteem/ resilience scores when compared to their similar peer group.”

They also found that NJO students:

  • Significantly outperformed their comparison groups on multiple education measures.
  • Tend to take more honor courses, worked harder in school, and were better able to concentrate on schoolwork.