By Shaheed M. Morris

TRENTON — Natalie Tung came to the United States when she was 14 after growing up in Hong Kong. After settling in New Jersey, she attended The Lawrenceville School, a private boarding school. Tung repeated third grade and felt that living with 40 other women made her feel more confident in herself and lifelong commitment to learning. Her personal experience and academic challenges led Tung to co-found Trenton’s first residential afterschool program in 2016. “There are so many challenges and obstacles our children face and even more challenges that our black and brown girls have to face due to systemic injustices, which is why we created HomeWorks Trenton,” Tung said. “We consider our co-founders the parents, scholars, community leaders and teachers who played an important role in creating HomeWorks.” 

 Among the many challenges facing Trenton’s student population is attendance. Trenton public schools recorded a 59 percent attendance rate while HomeWorks had a 94 percent attendance rate for this past fall semester.  HomeWorks is a free community based after school residential program for high school girls. From Sunday nights to Friday mornings, the girls stay overnight in a dormitory. The students are transported to and from their public schools and participate in programming focused on academics, life skills, civic engagement and women empowerment. Mikayla, a sophomore, said that Homeworks has allowed her to evolve and develop intimate relationships.  

 “Homeworks has helped me to evolve more and come out of my shell, before coming to HomeWorks I struggled to ask for help and now I've learned to understand the importance of having close female relationships and always knowing that there is someone who has my back at all times,” Boykin said. In 2016, its inception year, HomeWorks offered a semester-long program. Since then, the program has expanded to a full school year-long program after receiving a Forever Forward Grant sponsored by The Smith Family Foundation. “We have continued to grow each year,” Tung said. “I am glad that we are able to have an impact in the girls’ lives well beyond the classroom settings. The girls are the future of Trenton.” 

The Forever Forward Grant is a multi-year grant awarded to Trenton-based programs from The Smith Family Foundation. “Our goal is to provide tools and opportunities for our scholars to become leaders in the community and in the world,” Tung said. “Homeworks wouldn’t be here today without The Smith Family Foundation.” HomeWorks is in its second year of the three-year grant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Smith Family Foundation has continued to fund the day program. “The Smith Family Foundation is such a huge pillar in Trenton,” Tung said. “We are grateful to be part of their community and family. The funding has been beneficial to HomeWorks, but it has been so much more than that.”

 The program is currently recruiting for the 2021 academic year.  The program is free with an expectation of excellence from students and parents.  To learn more about the program, visit https://www.homeworkstrenton.org/