FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Community Hosts Teens For Week-long Urban Immersion
Newark, NJ (July 28, 2016) — Ten teens have swapped life in the suburbs for a week-long urban immersion in Newark this week.
The reason? Some lessons are best taught outside the classroom.
The high school students, who attend Saint Peter’s Prep and are from various suburban towns in New Jersey, will gain firsthand experiences as they spend one week volunteering with inner city children, job seekers, the elderly and formerly homeless—all individuals who receive support and services from New Community Corporation. New Community is a Newark-based nonprofit agency that’s recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive community development organizations in the U.S.
Ten students and two chaperones from the all-male prep school based in Jersey City are lodging at one of New Community’s eight residential buildings that provide affordable housing for seniors and disabled residents. Each day, the teens will volunteer at various sites in Newark, including New Community’s transitional housing facility for homeless families—called Harmony House—as well as at the two early learning centers, Extended Care Facility, Automotive Training Center, Adult Learning Center, Youth Services and more.
The students arrived in Newark on Sunday, July 24 and depart New Community on Saturday, July 30. In addition to rolling up their sleeves and volunteering, students also met with New Community CEO Richard Rohrman and toured Newark.
“The students of Saint Peter’s Prep have a unique opportunity to glimpse some of the real challenges of working, raising a family and building community in Newark,” Rohrman said. “My hope is that this experience at New Community will serve to inspire and inform these bright young minds as they see the work New Community does to serve residents of the inner city.”
