The trip to Kean gave the students an opportunity to gain insight into the life of a college student. Our students were given a tour of the University by a Kean ambassador. They were introduced to various sights within the University such as the Center for Academic Success, Kean’s Administration Building, Harwood Arena, and a Dormitory.
The MVP program began on April 17th in order to focus on developing self-growth in our male students and is conducted by teacher/mentors within the school. Students in the program meet on Saturdays and participate in workshops and activities that are interactive, engaging, and informative. During MVP’s first meeting, students participated in a workshop focusing on our core value of Respect. Students discussed the value of respect and how it shapes their lives on a daily basis. Students were engaged in various physical activities that focused on this theme and involved them in working with others to successfully reach a goal. In this session, students also came up with the program’s motto, which they called, “Respect,
No Excuses.”
In upcoming sessions, the MVP Program will be focused on leadership, drug awareness, and an end of the year trip with Project U.S.E. Through these experiences, the mentors hope to build upon key characteristics of leadership, respect, self-motivation, communication skills, and goal-setting that will help our young men succeed in their future endeavors. The program has also hosted guest speakers such as a councilman and an attorney from our wider East Orange community, who gave the students further insight into these important life skills.
The founders of the program, Mr. Altamirano, Mr. Simon, and Mr. Dinzey, hope to continue to provide opportunities and instill values that will help the young men in the program develop and exercise their talents in leadership, service, and scholarship.
By Mr. Dinzey, Mr. Altamirano and Mr. Simon
