Mercer Council News

Summer Camp is back at Ewing High School.  It is a first come first served, up to 15 students can attend. Students will enjoy a variety of activities, games, and 3 field trips throughout the summer. Please see the attached flier for further information and to sign up.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Be good to yourself and make sure you are mentally okay.  If not, then seek help. Please enjoy the PSA that ASYSST along with Ewing High School(EHS) Student Council created. This is a message for their fellow students and those in the community.  Please share below, a tip to r...

Mercer Council is seeking applications for a full time Program Director to oversee the School Based Youth Services Program at Ewing High School. Master's Degree in Counseling/Social Work/Psychology is required, along with a minimum of 3 years experience working with adolescents. Job position includes leading the team, as well as planning activities/programs to meet the requirements of SBYSP and be...

Me 1971

Our recent antiracism training facilitated by Kimme Carlos put me in touch with many of my personal emotions. I have always felt uncomfortable discussing issues associated with racism. I know it exists and I know it is sometimes necessary, but as a black man who has lived through it, the idea of discussing it at a times when I don’t necessarily have to is very difficult. Not only does it harbor di...

This February, the ASYSST Team at Ewing High School, is hosting some fun, virtual activities. Every day, a new post is shared with the students featuring a summary about a prominent/influential African American individual and their contribution to history. We are also hosting a virtual "movie party" every Friday which features a film, selected by students, that shares the story of an African Ameri...

Mercer Council is currently interviewing qualified candidates to fill two openings in our Available School Youth Services Support Team (ASYSST) School Based Youth Services Program at Ewing High School!   Both positions allow for freedom to create a variety of activities and programming to support the school community, students and families as they navigate the high school years and challenges...

  We are pleased to report that in early October, Governor Phil Murphy devised a last minute budget adjustment with the support of  several legislative leaders that  approved the restoration of the School Based Youth Service Program!  This decision results in the restoration of Mercer Council’s ASYSST Program and nearly 100 other school based youth service programs, effective O...

Rally to save SBYSP September 4 , 2020

Friday afternoon September 4th was a day that will live long in the history of school-based youth service programs. It’s a day where the students of the program took a voice to speak about the value of the program, services, and resources School Based Services offers to over 90 sites across the state of New Jersey. As an employee of Mercer Council and having been a part of the school-based youth s...

  Action Requested:  Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer CUTS ALL Funding to School Based Youth Services Program, (Our ASYSST Program)  eliminating mental health services for students. Several weeks ago I began working on a glowing report to share about the incredible Virtual Leadership Academy the ASYSST School Based youth Services Program successfully implemented the last week in ...

Mental Health Awareness Month

  Since 1949 May has been observed as Mental Health Month in the United States, and according to NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness): 1 in 5 adults in the US experience a mental health condition in any given year. During this time of physical distancing, managing good mental health can be challenging. However, there are 2 practical tools anyone can use to add to their daily routine...

Want to stay connected with your kids? Try your cell phone.

Looking for a fun and interactive activity to play with your bored teen? Look no further than your own phone. I was recently chatting with my 20 plus year-old goddaughter about things to do during COVID-19 and she asked me if I had downloaded game pigeon? I had never heard about game pigeon. She explained that it was easy, fun and a way that I could interact with her as well as my two teenage children.

It’s as simple as downloading it from your app store. Its free and easy to download. Once another person has it on their phone, you can engage in playing fun games like scrabble, archery, pool and several other youth-oriented games. If you’re anything like me, you may only see your phone as a place to store numbers, but increasingly our phones are becoming our computers for a variety of life necessity functions. As far as I know, this is strictly for I phone users at the present time.

As we journey along during this unprecedented time, its important to find ways to stay connected. Something as simple as an interactive phone game with a teen sitting upstairs in their room alone can bridge a gap without seeming overzealous or irritating. It’s a simple invitation. And if they decline, don’t feel bad… you can even play some of the games alone. Even we adults need some time to break the monotony of our day.

Let’s continue to find creative ways to stay occupied, united and safe as we as we charter through COVID-19 together!

As a child, I recall a woman in our church singing a song written by George Beverly that said “In times like these, we need a Savior; In times like these, we need an anchor; Be very sure, be very sure, you anchor holds and grips the solid Rock”When the life altering and crisis of COVID-19 arrived in the US , our lives became a storm of great unpredictability and fear. With so many aspects of our l...

Simple stress relief activites that can be done at home during this lockdown. I hope all is well, we will all get through this.

On Wednesday January 22nd, Ewing High School’s ASYSST Program observed Celebrate Life Day with an artistic flair! Using a rainbow of paint chips and Sharpies, students wrote out what things give them the most joy in life. Students arranged these, along with inspirational quotes and encouraging messages, into a colorful poster surrounded by the quote “Your life is a canvas, make sure you paint your...

On January 20, 2020, the ASYSST staff and two lovely students volunteered for a day of service at the Mercer County Community College(MCCC), James Kerney Campus in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther king Jr.. The day of service began with prayer, followed by a powerful message from Rev. Dr. Alyn Waller and then all the volunteers disbursed into mini groups for the different tasks they volunteered fo...

January 9, 2020 was Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Thanks to our School Security Coordinator, Don Ellison, for connecting us with retired local, law enforcement officer, George Cahill.  Mr. Cahill also works for the Ewing High School district, and agreed to speak with our students in observance of the day. Our goal was to host a discussion about bridging the relationship gap between law en...

Several ASYSST Members met the staff on Saturday December 28 at Preferred Care Nursing and Rehab Center to meet and greet a group of nursing home residents for a combined art project. The initiative was spearheaded by Shakita Johnson ( youth development specialits) who organized New Year stencils and colored pencils and markers. Students strategically sat at the tables with the residents and engaged in friendly "chit chat" while coloring.  The residents enjoyed the opportunity to interact with students and vice versa.  90 year old resident Esther P. quipped "They are such well behaved kids, they can visit us anytime". 16 year old ASYSST Student Morris reported " I learned a lot from the seniors... I really liked doing this!"

Program Director Gregory Smith said  "Our hope is to engage the students from ASYSST in similar projects in the future as a way to learn to give back and in the process receive so much more"

On March 14, 2019 Ewing High School participated in a Day of Dialogue. Over 10 high schools in the Mercer County area participated in this event held at Rider University. Twelve students were asked to attend from each school. Day of Dialogue is a student centered forum, focused on bringing high school students from diverse backgrounds together, to promote conversation, awareness and action around ...

Last week, Ewing High School found out about two students who have had hardships hit them and their families. One student and his/her family lost their home and all of their belongings in a fire. While they are being housed by Red Cross, they will have to start from scratch to regain everything that was destroyed in the fire. Another student lost a parent to a long battle of cancer. As like any FA...