Colonial Club service program mentors local urban at-risk youth

The club has channeled much of its programming through the Princeton-Blairstown Center, an independent adventure program through which University students engage middle- and high school-age youth from urban areas of New Jersey.

Colonial members attend PBC’s special events — such as Woodcutter’s Weekend last November, when they winterized the campgrounds — and visit PBC regularly to spend time with these students.

“The best part is the response we get from the kids,” said Colonial vice president Daniel Pedraza ’13, whose older brother, Jason Pedraza ’11, is an employee of PBC. “They’re so eager to see us when we come — they instantly made nicknames for us, and they’re always excitedly asking us lots of questions and wondering when we’ll be back again.”

Recently, the club hosted the Princeton Campus Expedition, a motivational program that brings high school students to campus in order to inspire early awareness of higher education. Colonial members gave campus tours to the youth and held an ice cream social in the club.

“It was great to be able to show them a cohesive eating, social and living experience within a microcosm of the University,” Colonial community service chair Ellie Rizzo ’13 said.

The club also helps to run programs such as the Trenton Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program and regularly sends members to Trenton to tutor at-risk middle and high school students.

The biggest challenge, Rizzo said, has been balancing the schedules of Colonial members and the high school students. Rizzo noted that the high school students are typically free in the early afternoon when most club members are in class.

The club is currently holding a clothing drive for Trenton residents and will also be sponsoring a comedy night for the Pace Council for Civic Values’ Inter-Club Community Fundraiser.

The event will benefit DonorsChoose.org, a charity that directs donations to specific projects posted by public school teachers.

While many of these events coincide with the USG’s April Month of Service, Rizzo said, “We’re not doing it just because it’s service month.”

Instead, the aim is to make community service a more permanent part of the club, Rizzo explained.

While members are in no way required or obligated to participate in these service activities, Rizzo said she hopes that community service will soon become more engrained in Colonial’s — and other eating clubs’ — culture.

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“It’s so easy to help these kids — just an hour a week for tutoring [or other activities],” Rizzo said.

“Eating clubs often get a bad reputation for being just about parties, but our community is about so much more. We have so many resources, and there are so many kids in the area who could benefit from them.”

Pedraza attributed Colonial’s community service push to the determination of the club’s officer corps this year.

“I think we have the right combination of opportunity and energy,” Pedraza said. “We all get swamped with work, but we just needed to make a little time.”