On Monday morning, Akbar Cook, the principal of Newark Public Schools’ West Side High School, announced the launch of a new entrepreneurial mentoring initiative that will  provide students with a “world-class study program” to serve as a bridge to attending college or building a career. The initiative is funded by the Leonidas Foundation and is called the L.E.O. Program.

Mr. Cook was joined at the ribbon-cutting by Councilman Dupree Kelly; hip hop rapper Anthony “Treach” Criss; Grammy Award-winning producer Karriem “K-Mack” Mack; and representatives from the Leonidas Foundation and the newly-formed Partnership for West Side High School. 

In an interview, Principal Cook, Rhonda Clarke, Executive Director of the Leonidas Foundation, and Rasheen Peppers, CEO of  Partnership for West Side, described how the L.E.O. program will provide students with tools, support, and hands-on work experiences in order to further their academic and career ambitions. The initiative is specific to West Side’s enrollment, which is largely Black and low-income, with a third of students classified with a moderate or severe learning disability. (According to a recent presentation by Newark Superintendent Roger Leon, West Side student outcomes place the school in the “low-growth, low proficiency” quadrant.)

“We need a broader vision,” explained Cook. “There are four pathways to success and a living wage: two and four-year colleges, trades, the military, or going right into the workforce. Not everyone is going to go to college. The L.E.O. Foundation is a happy marriage of exposing my babies to all the possible ways they can be successful.” 

Clarke of the Leonidas Foundation noted how “this program can change lives. With the leadership at West Side and the Partnership, we can ensure that all students, regardless of race or economic status, are provided with opportunities. Our commitment to Newark is deep!”

Interested West Side students will begin the two-semester L.E.O. program in the 11th grade. The curriculum is in place and includes entrepreneurial skills like identifying different skill sets, ideation, building prototypes for a “Shark Tank” competition, and collaborative team-building. Students will travel to Washington, D.C. for an intensive boot camp where they’ll stay at dormitories at Catholic University. Over the course of the year, students will have networking opportunities, build mentorships, hear guest speakers, and think about what sort of careers they want to pursue. “We have kids talking about how to tackle homelessness in Newark,” Clarke exclaimed.

Peppers, a former Detective Sergeant in Newark and a teacher of law enforcement, said, “our students at West Side have challenging environments and that requires innovation. We can’t just teach to the front of the room, we have to reach all of our babies,” adding, “parents in Newark will not find a more robust work-study opportunity in Montclair, Summit, or any area of the state. It’s here, right at West High.”

West Side High School is the first Newark public school to join the L.E.O. program, which has been serving students at two Newark private schools,  Don Bosco Prep and Mt. Saint Dominic Academy.