Period poverty project attacks health disparities, educates students on advocacy

By Kathryn Coulibaly

Judith Celestin, director of the Adult Learning Center and president of the Essex County College Administrative Association, first got involved in period poverty advocacy after a college-wide meeting with the college president Dr. Augustine Boakye, faculty, staff and students to discuss changes they’d like to see in the school.

“Samirah Scantling, who was president of Phi Theta Kappa at the time, explained that the restrooms at the college do not have free sanitary products,” Celestin recalls. “Judith pointed out that Sen. Teresa Ruiz had sponsored a bill providing access to free menstrual products for New Jersey students in grades six through 12, a bill that Gov. Murphy had recently signed, and it would be ideal to have it expanded to included higher education. President Boakye asked us to work on period equity at Essex County College.”

Ruiz is the state Senate majority leader and represents communities in Essex and Hudson counties.

Celestin volunteered to work on the project and began to assemble a team of co-workers, which included Angela McKinney and Choudhury Sanghamitra, from the college to look at the law and invite speakers to meet with them. The college’s Haitian Student Association (HSA), of which Celestin is an adviser, quickly became a major part of the team.

To help with funding, Celestin looked to NJEA for resources and learned about the NJEA Frederick L. Hipp Grants for Excellence in Education.

“We thought the Hipp grants would be a good fit for what we were trying to do,” Celestin said. “We applied for a $10,000 grant in March 2024 to help us provide free menstrual products to students and staff at the college while promoting awareness about menstrual equality, reducing the stigma associated with menstruation and educating the students about how to effect change in their community.”

Celestin’s grant, “Period Poverty – Awareness and Activism,” was selected for funding and Celestin and her team began to implement the project during the summer of 2024.

ECCAA President Judith Celestin and ECC President Dr. Augustine Boakye cut a ribbon opening the fully stocked restroom. From left: Former Phi Theta Kappa President Samirah Scantling, Celestin, Boakye and Dean Elvira Vieira.

Understanding the need for period equity

Nationally, more than 16 million people who menstruate live in poverty and experience period poverty, according to the National Institutes of Health. Nearly one in four teenagers who menstruate have struggled to afford period products, and 84% have missed school, or know someone who has had to miss school, due to lack of period protection. Black and brown households are disproportionately affected by period poverty, according to Brookings. The consequences of period poverty include increased risk of urinary tract infections and other poor health outcomes, including a negative impact on mental health.

“Essex County College is located in a county with a growing immigrant population and high levels of poverty, unemployment and the need for public assistance,” Celestin says. “Once our students and staff identified period poverty as an urgent and unaddressed barrier to student well-being and academic success, we put our energy into this project to install free dispensers stocked with menstrual pads and tampons in restrooms across campus.”

ECCAA Membership Chair Angela McKinney (l) and ECCAA President Judith Celestin show off the new Flow Free-Vend dispenser.

Increasing awareness and teaching advocacy skills

Celestin and her team researched their options and found Aunt Flow, a woman-owned company that provides organic cotton period products and is committed to sustainability. In addition, they are working to support people who menstruate by advocating on their behalf and providing resources and information to help them advocate for themselves. On their website, goauntflow.com, you can find educational resources as well as information on how to advocate for free-vend dispensers in schools and workplaces.

While Celestin used the Hipp grant to fund the dispensers and period products, the group also focused on teaching students how to advocate for themselves on this issue, as well as any others impacting them and their community.

“We showed the students how to do surveys and collect data,” Celestin said. “We invited Mikal Jenkins, a policy analyst for the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, to talk to the students about how a bill becomes a law, how to track a bill and how to advocate for something they believe in. Jenkins shared a roadmap for the students that they can adapt for other issues.”

In March, Essex County College held an unveiling of the fully stocked free-vend machines in restrooms across campus.

Judith Celestin (l) and Angela McKinney receiving their NJEA Hipp Foundation grant.

“The campus unveiling and reception served as a visible demonstration of our united commitment to equity, access and student success,” Celestin said.

Addressing students’ priorities led to improved outcomes

Celestin and the team evaluated the project at the end of the grant year and found that the project helped raise the administration’s awareness of how period poverty impacts student performance and highlighted the need to better support students facing these challenges. At the same time, the project empowered students through leadership roles in the awareness campaigns, community education and advocacy efforts.

“We also found that students felt an improved sense of personal dignity,” Celestin said. “In addition, class attendance improved, and retention increased within our department. We will continue to monitor future attendance and retention outcomes collegewide through surveys and data review.”

Celestin encourages other NJEA members, particularly those at the community college level, to apply for an NJEA Hipp grant and to consider implementing period poverty projects in their schools.

“This project not only addresses a critical and often overlooked barrier to student success—period poverty—but it also creates a more inclusive, respectful and equitable learning environment. This project improves student attendance, engagement and well-being, while fostering empathy, social awareness and community responsibility within the classroom and beyond. It’s a simple, impactful solution that removes obstacles to learning and promotes a culture of care and dignity.”

Kathryn Coulibaly is the associate editor of the NJEA Review and provides content and support to njea.org. She can be reached at kcoulibaly@njea.org.

Apply for an NJEA Hipp grant

Grants from the NJEA Frederick L. Hipp Foundation for Excellence in Education help educators bring creative ideas to life. The only foundation of its kind in New Jersey, the Hipp Foundation supports initiatives to promote excellence in education. These grants are available to educators directly.

Since 1993, more than $2.6 million in grants have been awarded to public school educators for innovative educational projects that represent a bold, fresh approach.

Apply for a Hipp grant and bring your innovative ideas to life. The deadline is March 1, 2026. Grants range from $500 to $10,000. Learn more at njea.org/hipp.

Accessing NJEA PEP and FAST Grants

In addition to NJEA Hipp grants, NJEA has two other grant programs to promote community involvement in schools, highlight the value of New Jersey’s great public schools and foster a stronger connection between families and the school community.

Public Education Partnership (PEP) grants cover a variety of topics and areas, including combating privatization, passing school budgets, addressing drug and alcohol issues in the community, and helping to keep teen drivers safe. For more information about PEP programs and how to use them to increase community awareness of the great things happening in our public schools, go to njea.org/pep.

NJEA FAST grants, or Families and Schools Together Work for Children, seek to involve parents and families in their children’s education through programs and events to help improve student achievement and ensure that families feel welcome and connected to our schools. For more information, go to njea.org/fast.

Contact your local association president to identify your PEP and FAST chairs.