February 2010

The city of Newark's Cotillion Program was started last year to enhance the lives of urban youth through social education, cultural exposure and enriching group experiences.

This year, five students from St. Benedict's - Joe Scroi, Preston Fletcher, Justin Copeland, Brandon White and Mushir Poole - took part in the 19-week comprehensive co-educational training program that teaches social and life skills at Essex County College.

The Cotillion Program exposes students to rules of social etiquette, interpersonal development, communication skills, leadership training and public decorum. Last year, 39 high school juniors and seniors from Newark, including seven from St. Benedict's, took part in the program. This year, 28 high school students from the city joined the program.

"Our Cotillion Program teaches our youth that manners and etiquette, cultural knowledge, public speaking and social skills combined with community service are critical tools in achieving personal success," said Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, a staunch supporter of the program.

The students of the Cotillion Program performed a number of community service projects this year, including presenting boxes of gifts to children hospitalized at Newark's Beth Israel Medical Center and writing letters to U.S. service members at the Lanstuhl Medical Center in Germany who are recuperating from injuries suffered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The program, which was held on Saturday's for almost five months, helped the students engage in public speaking, provided training in interview skills, letter writing and etiquette in all aspects of life. It concluded with a formal dinner/dance on Saturday, Feb. 13, at The Mezzanine.

"It has been an honor to be part of this program," said Copeland, a junior at The Hive. "This program has given me a wonderful foundation and fundamental skills that will help me later in life. The things I have learned here will help me wherever I may go."