Trenton's First After-School Residential Program
HomeWorks is a free, community-based, after-school residential program for marginalized black and brown high school girls. Through its unique after-school residential model, HomeWorks provides academic and social-emotional enrichment activities that supplement the public school system, empower women, and build community leaders.
Our Model in Practice:
A local solution to a local challenge
Public School
Boarding School
After-school Activities
Our unique model does not require its scholars “to trade home and family for education.” Instead, students live in the same community as their parents, speak with them daily, and live in their parents’ homes from Friday evening to Sunday evening.
Our 5-½ day residential program brings the benefits of the boarding school experience to public education without the bureaucracy, high fixed costs and scalability issues of an actual school.
Girls' education creates stronger economies,
healthier communities and a safer world.
-Malala Fund
Public School Education
Daily drop-off and pick-up to public schools to ensure attendance
After-School Activities
Focused on academics, empowerment, and civic engagement
Nutritious Meals
Daily meals provided by Sustainable Fare, a local partner
Dorm Living
All the benefits of dorm living while still in your community
From Sunday evenings to Friday mornings, our scholars live in the HomeWorks house and are transported to and from their public schools. Every afternoon, scholars engage in activities focused on academics, cultural life skills, women empowerment, and civic engagement. They then eat a family-style meal and stay overnight in our dorm with three full-time staff members.
Specifically in Trenton, New Jersey, HomeWorks aims to work alongside our scholars to disrupt the narrative that Black and Brown girls’ lives are defined by the cyclical effects of systemic injustice. We accomplish this by providing a space to explore and reclaim power over their experiences, cultures and identities, and fostering a community of young women dedicated to breaking down social injustices in their home communities and beyond.
Listen to what past scholars have to say about our program
SCHOLAR VOICES
"HomeWorks is a place for me to speak up about not only being a girl, but also being a black girl."
-Darae
Apply to become one of our 2020-2021 scholars!
Our Pillars:
Community Collaboration and Engagement
We believe it is important for Trenton's students to realize that they can not only achieve success in their home public schools but also help to improve them as they become leaders in their community. Our house is located within the city of Trenton and rely heavily on the partnerships with each public school, community organizations and most importantly our scholar's parents and family members to ensure success for them. We use a culturally responsive-based learning segment to conduct community projects.
Academic Enrichment
Working closely with our scholars’ school teachers, HomeWorks Trenton provides academic enrichment in reading, writing, social science, mathematics, and science through daily one-on-one and group tutoring. We hold scholars accountable to show up and address complex problems with our evidence-based curriculum.
Women Empowerment
We believe that a focus on women’s empowerment will encourage healthy living and independence among our scholars and motivate them to become informed citizens and leaders.Through social-emotional workshops, scholars explore topics on body image, self-care, self-respect, and safe-dating. In our weekly Sunday night time to share stories, take risks in a safe environment, and receive mentoring from caring adults.