Black Lives Matter. Read our statement here.

Camden will be home to a vibrant public school system that inspires all students and prepares them for success after high school.

What We Do

The Camden Education Fund (CEF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating progress in Camden’s public school system.

CEF works with families, school partners, and community leaders to identify citywide needs in education. CEF then provides grants and develops strategic partnerships to address these citywide needs.  Grantees may include schools, non-profits, and  universities. 

Our Vision

Camden will be home to a vibrant public school system that inspires all students and prepares them for success after high school.

Our Mission

To sustain and accelerate progress in Camden’s public school system. 

Our Focus Areas

CEF grants and strategic partnerships focus on the following areas:

Talent

Recruiting, developing, retaining, and appreciating excellent teachers

Equity

Ensuring a great school for every child and services that meet all children’s needs

Instructional Quality

Providing all students with access to high-quality, rigorous, and relevant curricula

Engagement

Creating opportunities for parents and community leaders to shape a system that meets families’ needs

Covid-19
Response

Supporting Schools and Families with technology access and academic and social emotional supports during the Pandemic

Our Team

team-photo-naeha

naeha dean

Executive Director

Naeha is a former teacher and district administrator. Naeha served most recently as Chief of Staff at the Camden City School District. She holds a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

team-photo-jon

jonathan cetel

Director of External Affairs

Jon is a former teacher and community organizer. Jon served most recently as the founding executive director of PennCAN, a nonprofit education advocacy organization. He holds a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Pennsylvania. 

team-photo-3

Jonathan Garr

Director of School Investments

Jonathan is a former teacher and school administrator. Jonathan served most recently as a Professional Development Implementation Specialist with Great Minds, a nonprofit curriculum provider. He holds an A.B. in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis and a Teaching Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania.

Our Board

Jose Brito

CEO, WeCare Home Care;
Former Camden City School District Board Member

Falynn Miligan

Owner, Executive Medical Transportation Services

Taisha Minier

Owner, Diamond Salon;
Former Camden City School District Board Member

Kameelah Shaheed-Diallo

Partner, The City Fund

Our Values

  • We are doers
  • We pursue excellence
  • We practice humility
  • We operate with integrity
  • We champion equity

Looking for more? Check out our featured grantees

 

We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis.  George’s story is the story of too many Black Americans – Ahmaud Arbery, Breona Taylor, Trayvon Martin, and so many more, named and unnamed by the media— brutally and senselessly killed.

This loss of Black life and our persistent failure to bring those responsible to account expose the most grotesque, painful truth about our nation: the enduring legacy of white supremacy.  

We will not heal until things change.    

Camden Education Fund stands in solidarity with the Black community.    

We remain deeply committed to bringing resources to support our public schools and the extraordinary youth-serving organizations in Camden, as we believe these are the institutions with the greatest potential to show our children, daily, that their lives and dreams matter.     

The reality is that all organizations – ours included – have so much more work to do.  We will hold ourselves accountable to building an organization that advances equity, promotes understanding, and dismantles racist structures.