According to the New Jersey Department of Education’s 2016- 2017 School Performance Summary Report,

High schoolers report not only having a lack of hope in Trenton but also constantly feeling unsafe. *

Our Activities

Theory of Change

Our Challenge

Trenton is a culturally rich community. The New Jersey capital, once an industrial giant, coined the slogan “Trenton Makes, The World Takes.” As factories closed and white flight plagued the city, Trenton transitioned to a majority minority and low-income population.

While vibrant cultural events like “Art All Night” still characterize the city, Trenton faces enormous health and social challenges. In particular, Trenton’s youth suffer immensely. Cycles of systemic injustices fuel obstacles to the success of Trenton students.

HomeWorks provides our scholars with a safe residential environment, daily transportation to school, and programming focused on academics, cultural life skills, women empowerment, and civic engagement.

HomeWorks’ staff members, professional program volunteers, tutors, and counselors create a unique space for scholars to improve their academics, explore their personal experiences, and have fun!

Our core values of community, empathy, and intentionality help create a space where scholars foster deep connections, inviting them to find sisterhood, practice vulnerability, and grow together.

Our Outcomes

Improved Leadership Skills​

HomeWorks Trenton encourages collaboration between the scholars and their community to ensure they develop leadership skills by engaging and motivating them.

Self-Esteem​

Life skills workshops give scholars cultural literacy, dealing with sexism, racism, colorism, self-confidence, self-love, and bullying.

Improved Academic Success​

HomeWorks Trenton has reduced rates of chronic absenteeism to 0%, enabling success at school through ensuring scholars are maximizing their time at school.

Social-Emotional Skills

Life skills workshops seek to target social and emotional skills, along with facilitating interaction between the scholars. The social-emotional survey intends to track scholar development.

Long-Term Outcomes

Improved Sense of Identity​

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"Increases in self-efficacy increases the number of leadership opportunities women pursue. Individuals with high self-esteem are more likely to pursue leadership positions" (Issac et al. 2012).

Increased Community Engagement​

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"Consistent attendance rates increase math and reading achievement outcomes, increase educational engagement, and increase social engagement"  

(Gottfried 2014).

Economic

Empowerment​

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"A study of 20 racially/ethnically diverse schools proved that social emotional and character development programs can positively influence school-level achievement, attendance, and disciplinary outcomes" (Snyder et al. 2009).

Leads to:

GRASSROOTS, PEOPLE-DRIVEN SYSTEMIC CHANGE​

"When Black adolescents join a pro social community based organization they develop a more adaptive identity, which they can use to actively address injustices" (Brittian, 2012).