Inside a brightly lit office space at 550 Broad Street, local young adults are busy building strong economic futures. They are learning to code, design websites, and build and lead a community of peers.
Hopeworks originally started in Camden over 25 years ago. Now, the organization has officially opened its newest location in Newark. Executive Director Jheryn Kenney leads the program. The goal is simple: bridge the gap between young professionals and growing tech sectors across northern New Jersey.
“Newark is very much primed for growth,” Kenney shared during a recent tour. “Our talent is tech-savvy and AI-enabled. But they are also not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”
Paid Training and Hands-On Experience
The program uses a clear two-phase model. First, participants start as trainees. They spend two to three months learning technical fundamentals like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and UI design in Figma. Meanwhile, they also master key professional skills. Trainees earn $30 daily stipends for their time and milestone achievements.
Next, participants move into paid internships. Interns earn $15.92 an hour for 25 hours a week. During this phase, they work directly on real client accounts. They build websites for local businesses at accessible entry rates. At the same time, interns create personal portfolio sites that showcase their specific passions, such as automotive history, fashion curation, or medical resources.
Holistic Mentorship and Community Support
Technical skills are only part of the equation. Hopeworks also focuses heavily on personal growth and trauma-informed care. Therefore, daily operations begin and end with site-wide “huddles.” These structured check-ins give participants space to decompress, track career goals, and build confidence.
Additionally, site community specialist Karen Toomer works directly with participants to address essential daily needs, assisting with transportation, food security, housing assistance, and mental health support.
“Mental health has been a key focus here,” Kenney noted, acknowledging the heavy personal burdens many local youth face. “Consequently, we provide the space, the breathwork, and the resources so folks can show up fully.”
Building Pipelines for Future Success
This hands-on approach is already creating strong results. Interns regularly use the site’s dedicated AI hub to practice mock interviews. As a result, they build real public speaking confidence before entering job interviews.
Eban Pratt, a trainee who led a tour of the space, described the impact firsthand. “Hopeworks isn’t just a training program. It helps us build true professional and technical skills,” Pratt said. “I am learning a lot and growing every day.” Site Director Trindalah DeLane-Smith, who leads day-to-day operations at Hopeworks Newark, could be seen coaching young professionals in real time. After one participant completed a practice tour of the facility, DeLane-Smith encouraged her to learn from another trainee’s approach while developing a presentation style of her own. “Know the information so that it can start to flow smoothly and start feeling genuine to you,” she told her.
Demand in the area remains extremely high. Currently, the Newark site has a waiting list exceeding 100 prospective participants. To meet this demand, Hopeworks Newark is actively partnering with local corporate employers and regional infrastructure projects. By combining paid technical training with comprehensive social services, the program ensures its graduates are ready for lasting careers in New Jersey’s evolving economy.
