✨ NJSACC Highlights NJSACC Board Member TJ Coakley For Shining in The Field!
TJ Coakley
Fun and Fit Aftercare
Owner/Director
Did you attend an afterschool program in your youth? Tell us what you did after school usually.
- I was a YMCA swimmer. The YMCA (Red Bank, NJ) also had a small youth program that I was part of. My almost daily schedule was 3-4 hours at the “Y” swimming, doing homework (While waiting for my brothers), and hanging out with friends. The “Y” also became my first employer (swim instructor and life guard). It provided me mentorship and kept me “on the rails” at an important time in my youth. It is through these early experiences that I learned the value of programs that support families and communities and why I continue to focus on youth programs in my community and volunteer time as an NJSACC Board Member.
When did you become an NJSACC board member?
- 09/01/2023
How were you introduced to NJSACC?
- Email Blast
In your view, why is afterschool important?
- Afterschool programs are critical to providing stability and opportunity to community youth. They provide a safe and supportive environment in which young people can be engaged, safe, and challenged.
In your view, why is NJSACC important?
- Its programing and advocacy for the OST community is critical in providing support for programs across the state so that those programs can have the maximum positive impact on their students.