TRENTON, N.J. (May 18, 2020) – Millhill Child & Family Development, in partnership with United Way of Greater Mercer County, will present a series of personal narrative essay workshops to our students via Zoom. These workshops will assist students seeking scholarships and get them ready to write their college admission essays.
“We are excited to offer our youth the opportunity to further develop their skills while learning how to create a sustaining path forward for themselves,” said Michelle Thompkins, Director of Youth Engagement at Millhill.
The essay writing workshops will be provided to the Trenton PEERS and the Next Generation Community Leaders (NGCL), which are two of Millhill’s key Youth Engagement Programs. The workshops are part of an initiative to prepare high school students to develop the language and written skills they will use in preparing college essays and seeking scholarships, as well as to encourage them to gain confidence telling their own stories. Debbie Meola, a journalist and college coach, uses a creative writing process where students identify their strengths, recognize their values, and admit challenges that they have had to overcome to reach their personal goals. In completing the workshop, the youth learn how to write and tell their own stories in a compelling and confident way – demonstrating their resilience, character, and strength as a young leader.
The Trenton PEERS (Performing, Educating and Engaging about Responsible Strategies) is a year-round leadership program for Trenton high school students that prepares them to become PEER educators, graduate high school on time and advance to post-secondary pathways. The program provides peer education, mentoring, and college planning to more than twenty students each year.
The New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI), the statewide grant making program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) awarded Millhill, and nine other organizations across the state, a NGCL three-year award to harness the energy, knowledge, and idealism of young people ages 14-21 to prepare them to become future leaders. The Trenton NGCL Team, Team Trenton Standing Tall, consists of 15 young leaders from Trenton.
About United Way of Greater Mercer County: We connect people with resources propelling individuals and families to reach their fullest potential creating a thriving community. Our vision is a vibrant and inclusive greater Mercer County whereby all can thrive. We invest in programs, community partnerships, and volunteer engagement in youth success, financial stability and health access. For more information please visit www.uwgmc.org
Millhill Child & Family Development
Millhill Child & Family Development is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping children, youth, and families in Greater Trenton through education, counseling, family support services, youth engagement, and community collaborations spanning from an early age to adult. Founded in 1971, Millhill serves more than 6,500 individuals in the community with the help of dedicated staff, volunteers and financial contributors. Millhill empowers lives using an approach that is both individualized and collaborative taking into account the dynamics of the whole family. Services are offered at 101 Oakland Street and 802 Prospect Street in Trenton, NJ. For more information about our programs, please call visit www.www.millhillcenter.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/millhillchildandfamily.
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