NEWARK, NJ — Young people are not the problem – they’re the solution, advocates in Newark say.
On Tuesday, Newark officials and community members gathered for a grand reopening event at the “Re-engagement Center” at 375 McCarter Highway (watch the video below).
Located within the Newark One Stop Career Center, it’s a place where youth aged 13 to 24 can reconnect with programs leading to a high school diploma or an equivalent credential – and put themselves on a positive pathway to employment.
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Does it work? Just ask Stephan Young, who previously empowered himself at the center after a brush with the criminal justice system.
Speaking at Tuesday’s news conference, Young recalled that his incarceration made clear what was most important in his life: his young son, who was also present at the event.
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“I got out with no home, no job – no stability as a foundation for a new way of living,” Young said. “But miraculously, I was introduced to Tyreek Rolon, who took me under his wing at the Re-engagement Center. I found myself embraced by a whole team of experts to support me, and within weeks, I had two part-time jobs and am enrolled to start at Rutgers University in the fall.”
“My son is here today and I’m proud to show him that we all have the power to reach out to each other for help and to find our way through our troubles into a brighter future,” Young added.
According to Newark city officials, here are some other things to know about the center:
“The Re-engagement Center will provide participants with school placement advising and services; and access to academic enrichment, social support, and modified instructional programming. It will also connect them to a range of wrap-around support services to promote success in school and beyond … Students 21 or over who have aged out of city schools will be referred to GED and high school equivalency program options … With its focus concentrated in College Entry, Trades, Leadership Development, Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, and Life Skill/Mentoring, the program reinforces positive life path alternatives that lead to satisfying careers.”
“Our young people are not the problem; they are the solution,” asserted Kyleesha Wingfield-Hill, director of the city’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery.
“They are the architects of our future, the builders of tomorrow’s dreams,” Wingfield-Hill continued. “Yet, too often, they are cast aside by a system that fails to see their potential – a system that measures success by standardized tests rather than by the content of their character.”
“Today, we reject that narrow vision,” the director said.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka also praised the center and the young people who pass through it.
“Many of our students are unable to complete their high school classes and gain their diplomas for a variety of reasons,” Baraka said. “We need to provide these young men and women with the tools and opportunity they need to achieve personal success and reach their professional goals.”
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“The Re-engagement Center will be the bridge that eliminates this gap, to enrich and strengthen lives,” Baraka added. “Together, we will empower our youth to unlock their full potential and set them on a path towards a promising future.”
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