Atlantic City Boys & Girls Club Reimagines After School Learning

THANKS TO FORMER NEW JERSEY SENATOR BILL GORMLEY ... THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF ATLANTIC CITY “STEAM LAB” HAS CAUGHT THE EYE OF APPLE, INC.

It’s not every day that one of the largest and most profitable companies in the history of the world takes front and center notice of a program based out of Atlantic City.

Apple, Inc. Icon Tim Cook did just that yesterday.

Here’s the proof.

NOTE: Mia Williams from The Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City is pictured in Tim Cook’s Tweet above. She’s a rising, young “Super Star” who you will be seeing great things from in the future. Williams is a graduate of Stockton University.

A Tweet like this from the likes of a Tim Cook has never happened before in Atlantic City history. That’s plain and simple. It’s a bit surreal as we’re accustomed to seeing Apple, Inc. deal all over the world at the very highest levels.

Now, I want to revisit how all of this actually happened. It’s organic to an extent and certainly well deserved.

However, like everything in life, it really is about who you know and the art of proper relationship building.

Enter to the scene, former long-time New Jersey Senator Bill Gormley.

In his post legendary legislative career, Gormley has been effectively working behind the scenes to help make major achievements possible. All while seeking no credit whatsoever.

To describe this chapter, I’ve coined the term, “Gormley’s Second Act.”

Stockton Atlantic City campus to name one big achievement. And, now Gormley’s work with the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club is bearing ripe, luscious fruit.

Long ago, Gormley forged a positive and effective working relationship with Apple, Inc. senior executive Lisa Jackson.

Jackson is a former top Environmental Protection Agency head at both the state of New Jersey and Obama Cabinet levels.

The Gormley-Jackson relationship brought Apple, Inc. right here to the local level.

In fairness, without this long established rapport, none of what we’re reporting about could have ever happened.

Gormley isn’t looking for any attention or credit. In fact, he’s avoiding any limelight.

However, in fairness to the truth ... this is how it really happened.

With the new STEAM laboratory, located at an Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club satellite facility at Sovereign Avenue and The Bay in Atlantic City ... a local star is born.

Her name is Mia Williams and she’s already making such an incredible difference in the lives of Atlantic City youth.

I can’t tell the rest of this story any better then Apple, Inc. has when they came into Atlantic City and spent more than 7 hours at The STEAM Lab, taking photographs and developing the deep background of the genesis of this incredible new educational facility.

Here is a link to a comprehensive article written for Apple.com

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/11/atlantic-city-educators-reimagine-after-school-learning-to-lift-a-community/

It also illustrates the many states around the country that Apple is working with.

However, almost the entire focus is specifically on the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club.

Congratulations to Stephanie Koch, Chief Executive Officer, Renate Taylor, Chief Development Officer, Mia Williams and the entire team at the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club.

And, a big debt of gratitude is owed to Senator Gormley, who is said to be so proud of what they’ve already accomplished.

With a profound collaboration with Dr. Phil Guenther and The Atlantic County Institute of Technology and Dr. Harvey Kesselman and Stockton University ... there remains no doubt that you will be seeing great things from this team in the near future.

We have learned that Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small is also very excited about the STEAM Lab and the results thus far being achieved by the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City.

Here are some additional photos that I took (first photos ever taken by an outsider) at The STEAM Lab.