In November, Isles and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs held a first-of-its-kind conference on Lead and Education. Speakers explored the impact of lead exposure on a child’s developing brain, including lead’s relationship to behavior problems and test scores. Can schools, families, and communities mitigate these impacts? Check out videos from the conference below:

What Schools and Parents Can Do to Mitigate the Impact of Lead Exposure

Mary Jean Brown, Sc.D RN, Harvard School of Public Health, Former Chief, Lead Division, CDC
Vicki Sudhalter, Ph.D. Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY

What Is the Impact of Lead Exposure To Students Brain and School Performance

Janet Currie, Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Director of the Center for Health and Well-Being
Ted Lidsky, Neuropsychologist
Jay Schneider, Professor, Departments of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology and Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University

The Impact of Lead Exposure on our Students What Can Schools do to Mitigate the Problem

Ralph Spezio, Ed.D., Executive Principal, (Ret.), Rochester City School District

Lead Related Education Law and Policy

Peter Chen, Staff Attorney, Advocates for Children of New Jersey
Jennifer Rosen Valverde, Clinical Professor of Law, Legal Director, H.E.A.L. Collaborative
David G Sciarra, Executive Director, Education Law Center

On The Ground From Flint, MI How Are Educators Responding To The Lead Exposure Epidemic

Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD MPH FAAP, Director, Pediatric Public Health Initiative, Hurley Children’s Hospital at Hurley Medical Center, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Human Development

 

On Thursday, April 12, a team of horses and staff from Howell Living History Farm arrived at Chestnut Ave Community Garden for Isles’ Annual Horse Plow. This year marked a special milestone in the history of the partnership between Isles and Howell Farm as we celebrated our 30th anniversary (to the exact date) of our first collaborative community garden plow.

The Chestnut Avenue garden is the largest and oldest of more than 70 community and school gardens in Trenton, and it has hosted Howell Living History Farm plow teams for the majority of those 30 years. Operated by the Mercer County Park Commission, the Farm demonstrates farming techniques used in the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century and in many parts of the world today. Local students helped guide the horses and learned about corn shelling, composting, beekeeping, and more.

“It’s an incredible day where school kids, farm staff, and community gardeners learn and work together to build a better future through food. We are proud to share this tradition with Howell Farm and the community. The day happens quietly year after year, but carries a powerful significance that transcends generations as well as urban and rural landscapes,” says Jim Simon, Isles Deputy Director of Community Planning.

We were glad to have Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson and Aaron Watson, Executive Director of the Mercer County Park Commission, in attendance.

Councilwoman Caldwell-Wilson shared, “One of the reasons that I am such a huge supporter of Isles is how they teach children in the city about everything–whether it’s educating them in math, or how to plow a field or grow vegetables. I do appreciate all their hard work in our open spaces, and they always include our kids which is really, really important.”

Isles is pleased to announce five new members to our Board of Trustees. Marty Johnson, Isles’ President and CEO says, “These trustees guide and support Isles, while also representing those we serve throughout the region. We are honored to work alongside them.” New Trustees include:

Christopher Cramer is the Vice President of Business Development at CytoSorbents, a critical care company specializing in blood purification to control deadly inflammation in critically-ill and cardiac surgery patients. Previously, he was Senior Director of New Venture Development at Johnson & Johnson (J&J). Prior to that, he was the Worldwide Strategic Marketing leader responsible for developing and executing branding and business development strategies for J&J’s minimally invasive weight-loss surgery division. Prior to J&J, he held multiple leadership positions at PwC Consulting and Parametric Technology Corporation. Chris earned his BS degree from Miami University and MBA and MS degrees from Carnegie Mellon University. He joined Isles’ Board of Trustees in 2017.

Gary A. Gray is a Director of Finance in the Global Wealth and Investment Management division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. His responsibilities have included the accounting functions of financial statement preparation, foot note disclosure, and general ledger installation.  Business management functions over his career have encompassed budgeting, project management, regulatory reporting, financial projection preparation as well as new product reviews.  Mr. Gray received a B.S. degree in Accounting from Hampton University and is currently pursuing a MBA from Rider University.  Additionally, Mr. Gray is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He joined Isles’ Board of Trustees in 2017.

Karen McGuinness serves as the Associate Dean for Graduate Education at Princeton University. Before she assumed her current role in fall 2004, she was a Lecturer in Public and International Affairs at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School, teaching a range of courses, including The Politics of Public Policy, Gender and Development; Bottom Up Approaches to Development; Alternative Development Strategies; and Undergraduate Policy Taskforces on Microfinance and Poverty Reduction. She received an MPA from Woodrow Wilson, and worked for the Ford Foundation in New York and New Delhi for more than 6 years covering human rights and capacity building in China, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Karen also has an M.A. in Government from Cornell and has conducted research on social movements, pro-poor policies and policy change in Andhra Pradesh.

Melanie Willoughby is the Chief Government Affairs Officer of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), where she leads a highly respected lobbying team, fighting for pro-business policies in the legislature as well as workforce development and innovation. She is the founder and co-chair of the InnovationNJ Coalition, which promotes innovation collaboration between business and higher education. In 2012, she was appointed by Governor Chris Christie to the New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission, where she chairs the NJ Employability Skills Task Force, and in 2004, she was appointed to the NJ Mandated Health Benefits Advisory Commission, where she is currently Vice Chair. Melanie is also actively involved in the Rutgers College Alumni Association, Junior Achievement, and the New Jersey Women’s Political Caucus. She is a Rutgers University Eagleton Institute Visiting Fellow and has a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers College. Melanie joined Isles’ Board of Trustees in 2017.

Willard Stanback has been engaged in the practice of law for more than 20 years. He is the principal of Willard Alonzo Stanback P.C., where he assists high-tech, low-tech and “no-tech” clients in the creation, protection and commercialization of their business and individual objectives.  Previously, he worked in the legal affairs department of the E.W. Scripps Company, Sega Channel, Reed Smith, and Morgan & Finnegan. Willard holds a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Masters of Engineering and J.D. from University of Virginia. Willard joined Isles’ Board of Trustees in 2017.

 

 

 

 

When Joy Ingram-Robinson’s 2-year-old daughter starting showing signs that she was sick, her mother thought it was because she was a premature baby. “Her fingernails came off but she wasn’t in any pain,” Ingram-Robinson described outside of the family’s home. “I just want what’s best for my baby because my baby already fought to be here: she was only born 1 pound 5 ounces.” 

So Ingram-Robinson took little J’Selle to the doctor, and found that  2 year-old’s blood lead levels tested at 5 micrograms per deciliter, which is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reference point for action.

There is no cure for a child that has been poisoned by lead. The damage is permanent, though the extent of the issues for J’Selle will probably not be known for years. Even at low levels, lead can affect cognition, behavior, and IQ, and each lead poisoned child costs up to $31,000 per year in special education, health care, and crime costs. 

J’Selle’s poisoning did not occur from untreated water or an unforeseen issue. It came from lead dust from old paint in her family’s home. For a few new windows, some encapsulating paint, and a roof repair, this child could have been spared the lifelong issues that come from being exposed to this silent toxin.  

This is not an isolated case.  Thousands of homes in Trenton — and other older cities in NJ — have never received any lead safe work, nor have families been informed about the potential dangers surrounding where they should be safest: their home. NJ children are at risk everyday.

Thankfully, this home and about 200 more will receive lead safe remediation services from Isles in the next 3 years.  For about $10,000 a unit, we make homes safe and healthy, preventing future children from being poisoned by lead. For  every $1 we spend on this work, Isles returns up to $221 to the community in lower taxes, special education expenses, and other societal costs.  

Isles also successfully advocates for stronger, long-overdue lead policies to protect children; tests homes for the presence lead and other hazards; delivers education to protect families; and trains contractors in lead safe work and community members on the health hazards of lead. 

With public and private investment into Isles’ multifaceted healthy homes approach, we believe that Trenton can be a lead-safe city by 2025. Join us by donating to this important work today.
 

There is a 4,325 sq ft. creative/loft space available at Mill One perfect for an architect or advertising office.

Located in a reclaimed brick factory building, this wide open space features an unusual truss ceiling and access to a kitchen, conference rooms, roof deck, and event space.

Mill One, 1 N Johnston Ave. Hamilton, is less than 2 miles from the Hamilton and Trenton train stations with easy access to Routes 1 and 295.

View the listing to learn more.

---

About Mill One:

Mill One is a Social Profit Center drawing together public interest non-profit and arts spaces, private businesses, and 45 units of housing under one roof. It offers:

• An appealing arts-themed hub to draw outsiders back into the community and offer local residents access to new spaces and events
• Secure, low cost space for nonprofits and artists who will benefit from shared services
• Civic spaces to benefit the larger community
• Office, warehouse, and distribution spaces for businesses
• Preservation of an historic factory building with many appealing architectural features

Learn more about Mill One here.