The COVID-19 pandemic has widened opportunity gaps across the country. Communities like Trenton, which are home to a greater number of front-line workers, have more strongly experienced the secondary effects of the coronavirus across all areas of life. From work to housing, from school to leisure, and from medical health to mental health, Trentonians have seen a reduction in crucial services.
As part of a needs assessment of area services, one in three Trenton high school students shared that there aren’t enough opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills and change their communities. They also expressed a concern common to adolescents: that between school, family, work, and friends, they have way too many responsibilities!
Hearing this need, Connect Trenton Coordinator Luke Thompson worked with school administrators to develop TNGA Time. This drop-in, peer-led talking group, only available to Trenton’s Ninth Grade Academy students, offers teens the opportunity to discuss what matters most using a restorative circle format. Advertised as “no more homework, just time to talk,” student-selected topics include Mindset Mondays, Sports & Games Tuesdays, LGBTQ+ Thursdays, and Future Fridays. At each session, students are asked questions like “how can I give myself more opportunities for success?” and “how can I make the world around me a better place?”
When the Foundation for Educational Administration announced its Healing-Centered Engagement pilot program, Luke encouraged school administrators to apply. This initiative will strengthen the abilities of area schools to support the holistic developmental needs of children. Experts will provide training to teachers, administrators, staff, and families on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), Mental Health First Aid, and healing-centered approaches to education. Mentors will also help selected schools to develop referral pathways to counseling and social supports for children experiencing trauma and mental health concerns, often considered crucial barriers to learning.
Starting next year, Trenton’s Ninth Grade Academy will proudly serve as a pilot school for this initiative alongside partner programs Connect Trenton and the SPAN Advocacy Network. Everyone involved is excited to offer new, student-centered opportunities for youth and their families.
Trenton Public Schools, The College of New Jersey, and the Foundation for Educational Administration are members of the All Kids Thrive Initiative of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, which funds data-driven attendance initiatives in schools throughout Mercer County. PACF’s goal is to strengthen and insulate the educational pipeline so “All Kids Thrive from birth to 25.”
Surveys and focus groups were conducted to identify gaps in resources in the community. As part of this outreach, students agreed that anonymized responses can be shared with stakeholders and the outside world. To learn more about these findings and see how they can support your work, contact Luke Thompson, Connect Trenton Coordinator, at luke.thompson@tcnj.edu.