{"id":50,"date":"2022-07-14T16:32:15","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T20:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/middlesexcollege.edu\/new-brunswick-center\/?page_id=50"},"modified":"2026-06-02T09:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:22:14","slug":"empower","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/middlesexcollege.edu\/new-brunswick-center\/empower\/","title":{"rendered":"EMPOWER"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This college mentoring program offers students the opportunity to work alongside peers and college students, receive tutoring and guidance in how to best transition to college and volunteer in supervised community events. The program is open to students in grades 7-10. All are considered based on motivation to participate, regardless of grades or legal status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Program Timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The EMPOWER Program has been available in the city of New Brunswick since 2016. After taking a one-year break in 2024, Angelo and I reintroduced the program in Spring 2025 with its first trial cohort and several key updates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The program no longer operates during the summer and is now designed to run throughout the academic year, from October though June. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eligibility has expanded beyond high school students and is now open to students in grades 7-10.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Participation is no longer limited to students from New Brunswick. Students from neighboring communities, including East Brunswick, North Brunswick, and Highland Park, are now eligible to apply.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The program no longer offers college courses for students. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Program Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>College and career exposure opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Community engagement initiatives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mentorship and tutoring support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Health and wellness programming: mental health awareness workshops and stress-management strategies\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Key component of the program&#8217;s updated model<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parent\/guardian involvement opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Educational workshops and field trips<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Free<\/strong> for all eligible participants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Program Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Attend the program at least 6 hours a week<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be an active participant during workshops and trips<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complete at least 25 hours of community service throughout the year<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Program Highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Partnership with Rutgers University\u2013New Brunswick \u2013 Pre-College Initiatives and College Success Department\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rutgers University students serve as mentors for EMPOWER participants throughout the academic year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Application Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All students, new and returning, are required to submit the EMPOWER Application and submit the following documentation:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Middle and high school transcripts or most recent report card<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Copy of one current valid photo ID (if applicable)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One proof of residency for the student or parent\/guardian (e.g., lease agreement, utility bill, bank statement)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One letter of recommendation from a school counselor or teacher<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Written response (minimum of 250 words)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once all application materials have been submitted, applications will be reviewed and eligible students will be contacted to schedule a brief interview.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Past participants are encouraged to re-apply. For questions, please contact Claudivel&nbsp;Batista Infante at <a href=\"mailto:cbatistainfante@middlesexcollege.edu\">cbatistainfante@middlesexcollege.edu<\/a> or 732-745-8866 Ex. 6306.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button btn btn--size-3\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/forms.cloud.microsoft\/r\/e0QEUCiSQX\">EMPOWER Application<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, email&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:infonb@middlesexcollege.edu\">infonb@middlesexcollege.edu<\/a>&nbsp;and leave your contact information. Someone will call you&nbsp;within 48 hours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The EMPOWER Program has served students in New Brunswick since 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-50","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>EMPOWER | Middlesex College<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/middlesexcollege.edu\/new-brunswick-center\/empower\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EMPOWER | Middlesex 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