High School Academic Support Program

The High School Academic Support Program held its Fall College Fair on September 26th at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Newark. Kudos to all of the teens who attended. Special thanks to the ABC's Clara Will Gray Scholarship Committee for serving lunch and Tossed NJ for catering. Thanks to all of the recruiters who braved inclement weather to meet with students today, United States Marines, Rutgers, Montclair, Drew, Felician, Fairleigh Dickinson, Caldwell and William Paterson University. Teens obtained scholarship applications, registered for community service and received Financial aid and college admissions information.

The High School Academic Support Program will be observing its 35th Anniversary on September 19, 2026. It has been very rewarding to assist over 10,000 teens in their college admissions process. In September 1991, we begin hosting FREE SAT Prep Classes and assisted high school seniors with their college applications, essays, financial aid and prom planning. Over the past three decades we have provided free SAT Prep Sessions, college tours, community service opportunities, mentoring, job placement, scholarship opportunities, college and career fairs, Resume Building, Gang Violence Prevention, hosted college fairs and cultural and social events. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, we hosted virtual college information sessions and Pandemic Relief Pop Up Expos for Teens where we distributed chrome books and tablets, job listings for teens, scholarship applications, personal care items, masks, hand sanitizer, eyewear to reduce eyestrain during remote learning, memberships to LA Fitness to reduce stress and anxiety, food packages and gift cards to reduce food insecurity in their homes. Through our program teens have received support and guidance in entering the work force, Armed Forces, College and Vocational Programs and Study Abroad Programs which have included: PENN State, Stanford, Morehouse, UNC, Clemson, NCCU, NC State, FAMU, Hampton, Howard, Seton Hall, Spelman, Clark-Atlanta, West Point, UDEL, Virginia Tech., Virginia State, Upsala, Columbia, Norfolk, Caldwell, NYU, Rider, Richard Stockton, Rowan, UMES, Boston University, Delaware State, Morgan, UPITT, Rutgers, Lehigh, Villanova, Drexel, Cornell, Hofstra, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Xavier University, University of Houston, Texas Tech., Prairie View A&M, University of Bridgeport, Southern Connecticut, Wesleyan University, UNC-Charlotte, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Colorado State, Southern University, NJIT, St. Peter's, Marquette University, Johnson & Wales, Benedict, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, NC A&T, Wake Forest, Shaw, Johns Hopkins, St. Joseph's, PACE, Long Island University, Fordham, Kean, NJCU, The College of NJ,Stevens Institute, William Paterson, Temple, Ramapo, Coppin State, Towson, UPENN, St. John's, Syracuse, Princeton, Wilkes-Barre, Georgian Court, Felician, Bloomfield, Seton Hall, Essex County, Union County, Lincoln Tech., Universal Technical Institute, Montclair, UMASS, UCONN, University of New Haven, Yale, Harvard, Northwestern, Duke, USC, United States Marines, Air Force, Navy, Army, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, Newark Police Department, Fire Department, and NJ Department of Corrections.
We thank our supporters and community partners. The Victoria Foundation, Community Foundation of NJ, Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark, Newark Public Library, Urban League of Essex County, Newark Board of Education and the Bessie Green Community for your support. We are truly proud of our current and former students who have excelled in the military, law enforcement, STEM fields, education, law, business, entrepreneurship, music industry and professional sports. We salute you! To our program volunteers, chaperones, tutors and mentors. Thank you!

7 slots left for this free trip

Our 2026 Wilhelmina Holder Memorial BBQ and Bookbag giveaway on August 19th was a huge success. We distributed over 100 bookbags and fed the community with a delicious menu catered by Tossed NJ. We thank our sponsors: The Victoria Foundation, Community Foundation of NJ, Councilwoman Amina Bey and the City of Newark's Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery and the Brick City Peace Collective. We also thank all of our volunteers and Bishop Elijah Williams and the congregation of Welcome Baptist Church and Game Changers, LLC and the BGCN Alumni Association. Our 2nd Community BBQ and Community Outreach will be held on August 22nd at 224 West Kinney Street, Newark from 12-6 pm

SAT Prep Session for high school seniors. Had a great session with students from various high schools. Looking forward to another great session. Thanks Rutgers University for opening your doors to our community youth to access free SAT Prep Sessions from the High School Academic Support & Mentoring Program of NJ