Stockton University in New Jersey launched a pilot program in summer 2022 designed to connect full-time undergraduate students with career opportunities in key Atlantic City industries, including hospitality, healthcare, public safety, and nonprofit administration. The program operates through collaborative partnerships between Stockton and local employers and community organizations. In 2024, eligibility expanded to include full-time graduate students and participants in Stockton’s Transfer Pathways program, a dual-admission initiative for students conditionally accepted into Stockton from participating New Jersey community colleges.
Known as the Atlantic City Summer Experience or the Live-Work-Learn (LWL) program, the initiative supports both Stockton students seeking meaningful summer employment and local businesses during the region’s peak tourism season. Students receive paid employment and employer-funded campus housing, removing a major barrier for those who might otherwise be unable to afford to live in Atlantic City and participate in the experience. Additionally, students complete a series of free, online career readiness workshops developed by Stockton faculty and staff, earning digital badges upon completion.
The LWL program also advances Stockton’s commitment to equity by intentionally increasing participation among students from historically underrepresented groups. This effort addresses longstanding disparities, as Black and Latinx students have historically comprised less than 15 percent of participants in experiential learning opportunities such as service learning, study abroad, and internships.
To remove barriers to education and workforce development, Stockton partnered with more than 20 corporations and organizations in the Atlantic City area to offer paid employment opportunities and internships while simultaneously addressing the region’s summer labor shortage. The Live-Work-Learn (LWL) program builds on Stockton’s long-standing, robust community engagement and service-learning presence in Atlantic City. Through these partnerships, employers collaborated with the university to create a structured framework for guided work experiences that encouraged students to build professional networks, gain industry exposure, and explore post-graduation employment opportunities within the local economy. Positions spanned a wide range of fields, including accounting, marketing, information technology, hospitality, healthcare, public safety, research, nonprofit administration, and other professional areas.
Aligned with Stockton University’s 2025 Strategic Plan priorities related to student success and workforce readiness, the university identified limited funding and access to housing as significant barriers to student participation in summer experiential learning opportunities. These challenges disproportionately affect students with limited financial resources, including participants in the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, which supports New Jersey residents who are highly motivated and capable but face financial and academic preparation barriers to higher education. Many Stockton students are unable to afford summer housing, as housing costs are not typically covered by financial aid and often require students to divert summer earnings that would otherwise support expenses during the academic year.
The Methodology
To launch the Live-Work-Learn (LWL) program, Stockton University’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, in collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer for the Atlantic City campus, initiated planning efforts in February 2022 by engaging local hospitality and healthcare industry partners. The university secured early commitments from AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Bally’s Atlantic City, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Caesars Atlantic City, the Claridge Hotel, FantaSea Resorts, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, Ocean Casino, Tropicana Atlantic City, Resorts Casino Hotel, and Steel Pier. These employers participated in a coordinated recruitment and hiring process designed specifically for LWL students.
Partner organizations submitted available job descriptions, which were posted on a dedicated Stockton University LWL webpage. The university hosted informational webinars to promote the program and implemented a streamlined digital application process for students. Employers then interviewed applicants and extended offers to qualified students, working in collaboration with the university to support student mentorship through the associated internship course. The success of the inaugural summer pilot generated additional interest from other corporations and community organizations seeking to participate in subsequent program cycles.
Through the LWL program, students receive assigned housing at no cost on Stockton’s Atlantic City campus along the Boardwalk and are automatically enrolled in free career readiness workshops. To remain eligible for the duration of the program, students must maintain employment with an approved partner organization from mid-May through mid-August, complete at least three online career readiness workshops, and remain in good academic and disciplinary standing with the university. As a summer campus resident, students are also eligible for a 20 percent tuition discount on summer academic classes.
The Impact
Since its launch in summer 2022, nearly 850 students have participated in the Live-Work-Learn (LWL) program, with an 88 percent completion and retention rate across program cycles. Participants reflect a diverse student population: 62 percent identify as students of color, 21 percent are Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) students, and 25 percent are transfer students. More than half of participants (53 percent) enrolled in summer coursework while participating in the program. Notably, 81 percent of students resided outside of Atlantic County, underscoring the critical role of the program’s free housing component in removing access barriers.
Stockton University recognizes the program’s strong potential for continued growth and institutional impact. Plans are underway to expand the LWL program through the development of long-term partnerships with small businesses and additional corporations in Atlantic City and the surrounding region. As the program scales, LWL is expected to contribute meaningfully to the university’s goals related to student persistence, retention, and degree completion, particularly for students who have historically had limited access to traditional summer experiential learning opportunities.
The central objective of the LWL program is to address the outmigration of Stockton graduates by increasing students’ exposure to, understanding of, and appreciation for local career pathways. Through sustained engagement with Atlantic City employers, students gain firsthand experience in the regional workforce and build professional relationships that encourage them to remain in the area after graduation. Many participating employers invite students to continue working during the academic year, and a significant number of students return to the program for multiple summers, providing continuity for both students and employers. The Press of Atlantic City published an article highlighting the success of program and students who received permanent job offers upon graduation.
Key Takeaways
To build the LWL program, Stockton University leveraged community relationships developed through its long-standing community engagements, cultivated through partnerships and service-learning work over the years. Identification of student needs and barriers is essential to creating programming that this is a benefit to students and the community. The university is an active participant in state and national organizations devoted to service. In addition, the university’s marketing of the program and its plug as a boon to the local economy increased the number of interested industry partners and corporations. Stockton University initially only contacted three employers to hire a projected 40 students the summer pilot; however, more 13 reached out based on hearing about the LWL program’s benefits from other industry leaders.
“I saw this as the perfect opportunity to get my foot in the door. AtlantiCare has been very accommodating so far with training, and they covered my CPI [Crisis Prevention Intervention] and BLS [Basic Life Support] certifications. I want to be a doctor, so it’s been a great experience so far getting to work around doctors and nurses.”
Nashia Ara, a sophomore biology major who worked at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center
“I don’t think I would have had anywhere near the same job experience that I have now, and I don’t think I would have had as high of a career trajectory as I do now without this program. I get student loan reimbursement from Borgata. I have benefits and health insurance. I have job security throughout the year, all thanks to Live-Work-Learn.”
Michael Mora, a Business Administration graduate who started LWL in the summer 2022 and who worked as an assistant manager at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa