Newark, NJ –- August 7, 2017 — Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Newark Community Street Team Director Aqeela Sherrills, and NFL legend Jim Brown will speak at the graduation ceremony for Newark Community Street Team members who have completed the Amer-I-Can Life Skills class, on Monday, August 14, at 5 p.m., at The Priory, located at 233 West Market Street.

16 Newark youth and young adults aged 18-30 completed this program, founded by the NFL Hall of Famer in 1988, which teaches participants to meet their academic potential, to conform their behavior to acceptable society standards and to improve the quality of their lives by equipping them with the critical life management skills to confidently and successfully contribute to society.

The Newark Community Street Team (NCST) is Mayor Baraka’s community-based violence reduction strategy. NCST deploys 16 Outreach Workers in the South Ward and West Ward sections of the city.  Through a relationship-based mentoring and case management model, the Outreach Workers engage with and recruit for services youth and young adults (ages 18-30) who are at risk of becoming either victims or perpetrators of violence. NCST also has a team of High Risk Interventionists who intervene in active street disputes and negotiate personal conflicts, diffusing tensions that are building to violence.

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Who:               Mayor Ras J. Baraka

                        Newark Community Street Team Director Aqeela Sherrills

                       NFL legend Jim Brown

What:             Will speak at the graduation ceremony for Newark Community Street Team members who have completed the Amer-I-Can Life Skills class.

When:             Monday, August 14

                        5 p.m.

Where:           The Priory

                        233 West Market Street

                        Newark

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For more information, contact the Press Information Office – (973) 733-8004.

E-mail: Pressoffice@ci.newark.nj.us