New Jersey City University recently launched the A. Harry Moore School Life Independence and Future Transitions program, an initiative that aims to offer opportunities and pathways for those in the special needs community.
With the announcement of the LIFT program, NJCU has transformed the first floor of Grossnickle Hall on campus — located adjacent to John F. Kennedy Boulevard and across the street from the full A. Harry Moore School which celebrated its centennial in 2021, to expand and further the decades-long relationship between the university and the special needs school.
AHM offers comprehensive academic, therapeutic, pre-vocational and social programs for students classified as Preschool Disabled, Learning and Language Disabled, ABA classes for students with Autism, and Multiply Disabled.
The fully renovated 12,326 square-foot space encompassing the LIFT program is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, featuring five specialty rooms, including a culinary arts room and a consumer and family science room, where students can practice real-life and independent living skills. Additionally, it provides adaptive physical education, career technical education, a school store where the program’s students will work to gain practical skills, and community-based instruction opportunities in Jersey City and on the NJCU campus.
This well-rounded approach ensures that eligible students are well-prepared for adulthood. The program is vital as it addresses the unique challenges faced by special needs students.
There are also four other general classrooms, and the facility has room for future expansion of the program.
The LIFT program launched with 37 students and is expected to have up to 48 this school year with potential growth to 60 students during the 2025-26 academic year.
NJCU Interim President Andrés Acebo celebrated the expanded relationship with A. Harry Moore School during his welcoming remarks at the ceremony, held Oct. 30.
“I am filled with pride to say that through our commitment to A. Harry Moore School, we are celebrating a bold, new step forward in our partnership,” he said. “This work represents our collective vision and is proof that, when we work together, we can turn challenges into triumphs and risks into renewed commitments.
“The LIFT Program embodies the spirit of NJCU’s near century-old promise to our community: a promise to stand with, fight for, and lift each other. Together, we are building a foundation that will support generations of students, families, and communities to come. “This program is not only a continuation but an evolution. With each skill learned, each barrier overcome, each goal achieved, we are lifting these students towards futures that shine with possibility.”
