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About Us
Joy. Purpose. Opportunity.
MENTOR Newark, formerly Newark Mentoring Movement, connects youth in Newark, New Jersey, to caring mentors who provide guidance, support, and positive role modeling to help them thrive and reach their full potential.
Newark Board of Education Superintendent Roger Leon, Executive Director MENTOR Newark Thomas Owens, U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey
Our Story
In 2012 Senator Cory Booker, Rose Cali, Bari Mattes, and Ron Piervincenzi founded MENTOR Newark with a mission to enhance and accelerate the efforts of local youth mentoring organizations while expanding the availability of safe, high-quality, and sustainable mentoring opportunities for Newark students.
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Our approach revolves around two key pillars:
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Partnership with Newark Board of Education: We collaborate closely with the Newark Board of Education to offer mentoring professional development to staff and support the implementation of a comprehensive district-wide student mentoring program.
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Building Capacity: MENTOR Newark actively works with more than 40 local mentoring organizations, many of which run programs within Newark Board of Education schools. We assist these organizations in various fundamental areas, including mentee and mentor training, conducting background checks, and establishing corporate partnerships.
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As the New Jersey affiliate of MENTOR, the National Mentoring Partnership, we have access to the latest data, training resources, and evidence-based mentoring practices. This allows us to stay at the forefront of the field, ensuring that our programs are grounded in the most effective methods.
