Brownsville Community Justice Center and the Rutgers University College Tour

Having recently graduated our 2013 cohort, the Justice Community Program had the opportunity to reflect on some of the amazing experiences we shared with the Brownsville Anti-Violence Project, the Brownsville Youth Court, B.O.L.T.S., and all of the amazing young people taking advantage of the programs at the Brownsville Community Justice Center.

Participants from each of these programs had a myriad of experiences with the Brownsville Justice Community Program.  Participants attended free screenings of powerful films such as Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station and Justin Chadwick’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.  We also enjoyed the excitement of Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure, the Big Apple Circus’ Luminocity, and a variety of enlightening workshops, field trips, and trainings.

One of our trips was a college tour at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.  For some participants, this was the first time they stepped foot on a college campus.  For others, visiting Rutgers was an opportunity to compare Rutgers to other campuses they have visited in Brooklyn.

Justice Community participants were able to sit in classrooms, see dormitories, and interact with currently enrolled students.  Getting a first-hand experience of what it is like to be a college student in lecture style classrooms and seeing the living accommodations made some of the students feel more connected to the college experience. Alonzo, a Justice Community participant who is currently preparing for the SATs and filling out his FAFSA forms commented, “I pictured what it would be like, but it’s exciting to see what it’s actually like.”

Justice Community participants were also able to visit the student center and eat lunch in student cafes, see works of art in the student art gallery, and view the activities center where they saw the numerous student groups, fraternities, sororities, and activities that college students explore.  Justice Community participants were able to see students studying in the student lounge while watching flat screen televisions and sipping coffee from the in house Starbucks.  Justice Community participants enthusiastically commented, “I can do this!” 

Participants explored health and sports facilities like the fitness room, basketball court, soccer field and more.  For many of Justice Community’s college bound youth, seeing these facilities reassured them that there is time and space in higher education for not only academic and social activities, but also sports and other activities that promote and help maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. 

The cross pollination of services at the Justice Center is an invaluable web of opportunity, as it exposes young people to other aspiring youth, as well as the various resources and programs available to them here in Brownsville.  Young people are able to expand their social network and build positive relationships through enrichment, share information about the programs they frequent at the Justice Center, explore resources that are new and rewarding for them, and connect themselves to a place in their community that not only encourages them, but helps them take advantage of opportunities that push them further towards their goals.

Justice Community would like to thank B.O.L.T.S. (Building Our Leaders and Training them for Success), for organizing the Rutgers University tour.  B.O.L.T.S. is an initiative within Brownsville Community Justice Center’s Clinic.  This incentivized program was designed as a way to engage youth and expose them to a variety of social, educational, and cultural opportunities.  Youth that participate in the program receive a stipend over the course of a 4-month period.   Our hope is that their leadership development and community engagement will increase as they attend youth summits, visit college campuses, assist in peer-led workshops, participate in community service, and so much more.

The Brownsville Community Justice Program would also like to thank the Brownsville Youth Court, the Brownsville Anti-Violence Project, Rutgers University, and all of the aspiring college bound participants who dared to explore their dreams.

“Visiting Rutgers was exhilarating.  The trip gave me clarity on the entire college experience.  It gave me focus.  I always thought about college, but this trip made it a priority for me.  It showed me that it was something that I really wanted to do and that I was capable of going.”

-Alonzo J., Brownsville Justice Community Program Graduate