With the assistance of Executive Director and Founder of Project Inspir8tion, Jocovi Lindsey, Cunningham Academy recently hosted two diversity and inclusion workshops. Guest speakers included Cumberland County prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McCrae, author and humanitarian, Makema Douglas, youth success liaison in the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, Adrian McGriff and a police officer from the New Jersey Attorney General’s office. 
Over a dozen students took part in a workshop aimed at empowering them to be respected as well as respect what makes them and others different in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, religion, sexual orientation, education and national origin.
“We are grateful to these local and state leaders who shared their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion with our students,” said Geoff E. Ashton, executive director, Cunningham Academy. “The teens learned about the importance of embracing diversity, equity and inclusion not only in school, but in their everyday lives.”
Cunningham Academy is a transitional academic setting for middle and high school students who have experienced behavioral difficulties adapting to a traditional school environment. As these students have been referred from their home school, it is Cunningham Academy’s mission to ensure that they return to their home school in a timely manner demonstrating marked improvement in behavior, attendance, and academics.
Cunningham Academy partners with the Vineland Public School District to work with their diverse learner population in a smaller setting within the school to support these students’ specific needs.