Nearly a decade ago in a Princeton University classroom, then-sophomore Natalie Tung was handed an assignment that would change her life: create a non-profit and pitch it.
As her classmates brainstormed, Tung reflected on her own life, rich in experiences shaped by strong, empowering women. Inspired by lessons from her mother, mentors, and friends, she conceived an idea that would become HomeWorks Trenton.
Today, the nonprofit, which she founded in 2016, operates a free after-school residential program for high school girls in the Trenton area that aims to uplift and empower the next generation of female leaders.
Working in partnership with local public schools, HomeWorks offers both academic and identity-driven support to foster leadership skills. At the heart of its mission, HomeWorks strives to help scholars achieve economic freedom and empowerment, all while staying connected to their identities and community.
“Trenton is a beautiful and amazing community that has a lot of strengths,” Tung said. “There’s so much color to it. It’s very close-knit. Everyone knows each other, and I really wanted it so that our kids did not feel like they had to leave that or sacrifice their community for education.”
Growing up in Hong Kong as an English-speaking student at a Chinese school, Tung struggled both academically and socially. At 13, she moved to the United States to attend the Lawrenceville School, the private co-educational preparatory school in Lawrence Township.
At the school, she spent most of her time in a girls-only dorm, surrounded by women from diverse backgrounds, and discovered the strength of women and the importance of community. Tung, who also spent time as a student-teacher in Trenton public schools, wanted to recreate her boarding school experience in a way that would be accessible to girls around the world, starting with the students in her own community.
Tung said that seeing the amazing things and the challenges happening in the community is what made her want to start HomeWorks.
Since then, HomeWorks has grown from a four-week pilot with a small group of girls into a four-year program that supports 42 scholars. For her accomplishments, Tung was recently honored by the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber with its Women of Achievement Award alongside Mary Gay Abbott-Young of the Rescue Mission of Trenton and Melissa Tiso-Tenzer of Dress for Success Central NJ.
Now, armed with millions of dollars in grants and community support, the organization has started construction on a new facility at 1212 Edgewood Avenue in Trenton. They are working alongside Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design (JZA+D) on the new campus, with expected completion in about 12-14 months, depending on permit approval, according to Zinder.
“Josh and his team have been really kind and generous throughout this whole process,” said Tung, who met Zinder a few years ago on a panel they were both involved with. “I offhandedly said, ‘One day our dream is to have our own house,’ and Josh was like, ‘What about now?’”
Tung and Zinder said the building process has been an enjoyable and collaborative effort. The scholars have actively participated in selecting design elements — like the colors of the bathrooms, study areas, and taking ownership of their future space.
They are especially excited about the addition of the butterfly roof, a downward-facing V-shape perched atop a section of the building like an open book. It’s designed to channel rainwater and support plant growth at the bottom of the building.
“It’s almost this metaphor of collecting rainwater and collecting knowledge. It goes down and it nourishes our scholars, and then our scholars then grow and become leaders, essentially, and become whoever they want to become,” Tung said.
Zinder has also been involved in engaging students in the creative and educational aspects of the building. His office organized a panel featuring architects and interior designers who are women of color, and they shared their experiences with the scholars about the field. Through the program, students have been able to learn from women across multiple disciplines, including Dr. Moogega Cooper, an astronomer and NASA scientist.
Through its varied use of spaces, textures, and colors, the new building aims to create an environment that feels like home and supports all types of learners.
“We recognize that everybody learns in different ways, and so in this case we’re trying to create opportunities and places for people to have a location that they feel comfortable studying in — whether it’s in their rooms or in a lounge space,” Zinder said. “We’re going to have cubicles, there’s going to be lounge furniture for students to study, and then there’s going to be the multi-purpose room, which will be a flexible space.”
HomeWorks has an organized structure that emphasizes both academic and identity-driven leadership. Students reside in a dorm, currently housed in a building on Rider University’s campus, from Sunday night to Friday morning, with transportation provided to and from school.
Each day features distinct programming: Sundays are dedicated to fun dorm activities; Mondays focus on academic support; Tuesdays are centered around identity-driven leadership; Wednesdays are for health and wellness; and Thursdays are for field trips.
Students have been to basketball games, visited Goldman Sachs, and been taken on college tours. The goal, as described by Tung, is to provide support for scholars to become leaders while being grounded in their identities as Black and Brown women.
“I really truly believe in our model,” Tung said. “I believe that this is a way for our scholars to achieve economic freedom and empowerment, but to also become leaders to ultimately push all of our communities forward and solve all of the things that are going on in the world.”
When asked about her favorite moments at HomeWorks, Tung highlighted the joy of witnessing her scholars grow and achieve. She particularly noted the success of students who have been with her for all four years and who are now attending colleges such as Montclair State University and The College of New Jersey.
“At HomeWorks we have really become family,” Tung said. “We go to each other’s birthday parties; I’ve gone to weddings, funerals, and pep rallies. I think the best memories have been seeing our scholars grow but also forming really beautiful bonds with our scholars and families.”
Tung said her overall goal is to expand HomeWorks’ mission both nationally and globally. They have already engaged with community leaders from Delaware, California, and Virginia, as well as countries like the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and China. She said she is excited to continue collaborating with community leaders to expand the organization further. With the new building underway, this vision starts in Trenton.
“It is so important for our scholars and our community to be at the forefront of this work,” Tung said. “This is not a one-person job. This is a community initiative, and for this to be successful we need our scholars and our community to take the lead. And I am really taking their lead in creating this alongside them.”
Talking about her legacy, Tung expressed gratitude to her ancestors who paved the way and helped her to follow her purpose. She said she hopes to create spaces that empower women of the next generation to do the same.
“To ultimately create spaces, create communities where girls around the world feel safe, feel empowered to not only pursue their passions and do whatever they want to do in life but ultimately become the leaders within their community” Tung said. “Because we know that when women are empowered, when women are at the forefront, change does happen.”
More information: www.homeworkstrenton.org.
Natalie Tung is the founder of Homeworks.,
