“ The Elite Club’s philanthropic initiative is designed to empower inner-city youth through mentorship.”
According to the 2010 School Report Card issued by the New Jersey Department of Education, Trenton’s middle school students are falling behind their peers across the state in terms of their NJ ASK scores in language arts and mathematics. Only 28.7% of sixth-graders at Hedgepeth-Williams School are proficient in Language Arts, relative to the 57.9% statewide. Furthermore, only 38.2% of sixth graders are proficient in Mathematics, compared to 48.5% of students statewide. In other Trenton schools, the gap is even wider. At Joyce Kilmer School, only 12% of sixth graders are proficient in Language Arts, while only 26.1% of sixth graders are proficient in mathematics. Similar test scores can be found throughout the district, making it clear that Trenton’s students are struggling in school. Though this could be attributed to a variety of factors, the bottom line is that students who are struggling in school often become disengaged with school altogether and proceed to drop out, further limiting their opportunities to succeed in adulthood. In Trenton, the ninth grade dropout rate in the 2009-2010 school year changed significantly, jumping to a staggering 142 students from a mere twelve in the eighth grade. Ninth grade also had the most dropouts out of all grades levels.
Elite knows that the future of these students is not hopeless. Participation in mentoring programs can have a positive impact on at-risk youth, not only in terms of a child’s academic performance, but also in other areas of the child’s life as well. According to a 2009 report, participation in a mentoring program is correlated with “improvements in self-esteem; better relationships with parents and peers; greater school connectedness; improved academic performance; reductions in substance use, violence, and other risk behaviors.” Ultimately, mentoring programs have the potential to change many children’s lives. Mentorship can give inner-city youth an opportunity to overcome the obstacles they may face and create better and brighter futures.
The Elite Club’s youth development program intends to take noble elements such as personal development, artistic expression, creative writing and community service and make them appealing to youth. Elite will work directly with eighth grade students that attend Hedgepeth Williams Middle School in Trenton and encourage them to incorporate these elements in their future high school endeavors. Through this youth development program, Elite will support youth to be expressive, to empower them with the confidence needed to not only succeed academically, but also be positive leaders in the midst of negative influences. Elite will provide students with an outlet within the standard school day. The students will participate in leadership and team building activities. The aim will be to increase students’ confidence, and providing a positive influence in their lives. Education and passion for civic engagement will be engrained in all activities.
Some Outtakes from the day:
