Teen volunteers from West Windsor and Plainsboro raised close to $500 to benefit A2Z mentoring programs and to purchase math games and work books for students. The money was raised at a car wash that took place on October 4, at Valero’s gas station on Southfield Road in West Windsor. The organization, based in West Windsor, was organized by Mira Desai, the founder and president and a parent of a student volunteer.##M:[more]##
Volunteers from High School South include sophomores Sonia Pothraj, Rishi Narang, and Jamie Shah; juniors Nikita Gupta, Kunal Desai, Kunal Desai, Maria Vincent, Mahvish Hashmi, and Shreya Agarwal; and seniors Piyush Poddar, Prerak Patel, Nithin Gadiraju, Ashwath Rajagopalan, and Avinash Salgam. Also participating: Nikhil Ramakrishna, a sophomore at High School North.
The multi-cultural, nonprofit 501(c)(3) program has served at-risk young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds since 2004. The high school volunteers typically work one-on-one with academically and socially challenged children in grades 1 to 9 to help them improve achievement in school by developing self-discipline.
“An important aspect of A2Z’s outreach to low income, minority youth and the children of immigrants and refugees is the organization’s belief in nurturing understanding and promoting robust social networks,” says Mira Desai. “Another is its emphasis on improving life skills, improving study skills, enhancing self-esteem and introducing the pleasures of life-long learning in students.”
Tutoring and mentoring sessions takes place at the East Windsor Library four evenings a week, at Twin Rivers two evenings, and one evening at Ewing Library.
“Our program stresses academic achievement in the core areas of math, reading, writing, and science,” says Desai. “Young people enjoy a special bond with their mentors, develop their academic skills, and grow in leadership ability and good citizenship.”
A2Z welcomes adult and high school volunteers. The next session begins January 6.
For more information visit www.a2zmentoring.com.
