Mayor Booker Helps Kick Off National Mentoring Month in Newark

(Newark, NJ) – On January 25, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, City Council President Mildred Crump, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools Dr. Clifford Janey and Rutgers-Newark Chancellor Steven Diner will join with the Newark Mentoring Coalition in the City Hall Rotunda to host the National Mentoring Month Kickoff Celebration.  The centerpiece of the event will be the presentation of the 2010 Mentoring Champion Awards, which will recognize 10 individuals and groups for their tireless efforts supporting the growth and development of young people through mentoring.

“The Mentoring Champion Awards are given to individuals who champion the ideals embodied in National Mentoring Month:  promoting young people’s success in life through educational achievement, health and safety, and social and emotional development,” said Felix Rouse, Chairman of the Newark Mentoring Coalition and Chief Executive Officer of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark.  Mayor Booker, Council President Crump, Superintendent Janey and Chancellor Diner will present each Champion with a medallion acknowledging their achievements.

“These Champions represent a wide range of backgrounds, from corporate executives to high school students. They each demonstrate clearly how one person can have a tremendous impact on the life of a young person,” said Mayor Booker:  “By honoring the work of those who have had such a positive effect upon the lives of their mentees, we hope to inspire even more adults to sign up to become mentors.”

Rouse continued: “It has been repeatedly demonstrated both statistically and anecdotally that mentoring leads to beneficial results for both the individuals involved and the community as a whole.  Mentoring is a proven method of helping guide young people onto the path towards a successful life.”

The Newark Mentoring Coalition is a community of members who share a common purpose – to dramatically increase the number of mentors in the city of Newark, NJ.  The Coalition consists of more than 40 service organizations throughout Newark and Northern New Jersey who provide a variety of mentoring services to over 3,000 young people.  The Coalition will also work with mentoring programs to improve delivery of services and to ensure that quality standards and effective practices are implemented in every program.

Several Coalition member organizations will be on hand to explain to Newark students in the 4th – 9th grades who will be attending who are presently not being mentored but are interested in having a mentor how the mentoring process works.

“The Newark Mentoring Coalition believes that every child who desires a mentor should have one.  Together with its members, that is the goal the Coalition is working toward,” said Rawaa Albilal, Interim Director of Newark Mentoring Coalition.  “Children in mentoring programs perform better in school, and mentors can provide a window into a larger world that a child may not imagine on her own.”

2010 Mentorig Champions

  • Aspira, Inc.
  • Keith Green, United Way
  • Dr. William Howard, Bethany Baptist Freedom School
  • Ironbound Community Corporation
  • Mentoring USA Peer Mentors, Central High School
  • William D. Payne, former New Jersey State Assemblyman
  • Matthew Stevens, Residential After School Program
  • Dr. Kevin West, Sigma Beta Club Young Men
  • Anthony Dragoni, Verizon
  • Carolyn Wallace, International Youth Organization

Newark Mentoring Coalition

In 2008, the city of Newark teamed up with Community Foundation of New Jersey, The LEAGUE New Jersey, The MCJ Amelior Foundation, Newark Alliance, Newark Public Schools, News Corporation, The Nicholson Foundation, Rutgers University in Newark, and United Way of Essex and West Hudson to launch the Newark Mentoring Coalition.  During the inaugural year of this city-wide mentoring initiative, approximately 125 newly-recruited volunteers provided mentoring services to nearly 2,500 young people. Today, the Newark Mentoring Coalition consists of more than 40 service organizations throughout Newark and northern New Jersey.  The Newark Mentoring Coalition is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

For more information please contact Penny Paul at ppaul@winningstrat.com or at 973-799-0200