✨ NJSACC Highlights NJSACC Board Member Suad Gacham For Shining in The Field!
Suad Gacham
Bergen Family Center
Senior Director of Family & Children’s Services
Did you attend an afterschool program in your youth? Tell us what you did after school usually.
- No, there was no afterschool in my school district when I was growing up.
When did you become an NJSACC board member?
- 04/01/2014
How were you introduced to NJSACC?
- As an afterschool provider NJSACC was part of my network. Collegues
In your view, why is afterschool important?
- I know firsthand what it’s like not to have an afterschool program. As a child, my older brother and I were latchkey kids, we went home to an empty house, made our own snacks (nothing that required the stove or oven), and did our homework with cartoons on in the background. Later, when I began working in afterschool as a coordinator, I saw the difference up close. A room full of children having snacks engaging with peers, being greeted by caring adults at dismissal, receiving homework support, and participating in enrichment and recreation, all within a few hours, it is incredibly impactful. That experience reinforced for me how important these programs are, and why I believe every child should have access to them.
In your view, why is NJSACC important?
- NJSACC brings together all aspects of afterschool programs across New Jersey. It serves as the statewide afterschool network, connecting providers who are doing this important work every day. At 3:00 p.m., programs across the state are supporting children in ways similar to ours, and NJSACC helps unify that effort. They provide professional development, training, technical assistance, and resources to providers, while also elevating and highlighting the impact of afterschool programs.