(upbeat music) - We're joined by Robert Clark, Founder and CEO of Newark Opportunity Youth Network.

Good to see you, Mr. Clark.

- Good to see you, Mr. Adubato.

- You are, in fact, a Russ Berrie Making a Difference winner, one of the many folks that we have featured who are making a difference in the community.

But, as we put up the website for Newark Opportunity Youth Network, tell everyone what it is and the impact that you're making every day.

- Well, thank you, Steve.

The Newark Opportunity Youth Network is a network or a collective of organizations in the city of Newark who are all committed to ensuring that young people have second chances and opportunities to participate in the local economy through earning their high school diploma, earning a workforce certification, joining the workforce, and living a healthy life.

And many years ago, we decided that it was not enough just for us to run a program.

We wanted to support other organizations who were trying to do so as well, so that any door a young person walked through in Newark, it would be a door of quality and of opportunity.

- Now, you were named...

The Obama Foundation named you My Brother's Keeper initiative model.

Tell everyone what that means.

That's a national distinction that is very significant.

Please, Robert, if you could.

- Well, the MBK Alliance, through the Obama Foundation, recognized Newark as one of four cities that they named Model Cities for the implementation of Milestone Number 6 in the Cradle to Career milestones that the Obama Foundation has laid out as the six milestones that are the greatest indicators for success of a community.

Newark was named for Milestone Number 6, which is keeping young people safe from violent crime.

Newark has a 20-year low reduction in violent crime.

They reduced violent crime in the past 10 years by about 55% from...

There were 112 homicides maybe 10 years ago.

Last year, that was reduced by 55%, and that's really, really significant.

But the distinction for the city of Newark, which I think we should be really, really proud of as a city, the mayor, and all of local law enforcement, and the community-based infrastructure has really sort of galvanized around this idea of public safety and community violence intervention.

And so, it's an honor.

However, the real importance of the Obama distinction is an opportunity for us to realize Milestones 1 through 5 as a city, which are really, really important.

So imagine a Newark where all young people are taking advantage of early childhood education, imagine a Newark where all young people are reading by the third grade, imagine a Newark where young people are graduating from high school prepared for post-secondary opportunities, imagine a Newark where young people are earning secondary certifications, and imagine a Newark where people are gainfully employed by having benefited from a robust education system.

That is the opportunity that the MBK Alliance distinction affords the city of Newark, and we really look forward to partnering with the city and many stakeholders in this endeavor.

- Robert, why is this so personal for you?

- Steve, as we talked about many years ago when I was with you, this is personal for me because there were a group of concerned adults who did this for myself and many of my peers many, many moons ago.

And we believe that young people are the greatest resource available to the survival of any community.

And young people will... Young people in these communities will likely be the economic heartbeat of this community in their future.

They're the young people who will likely have the jobs in this community, and we want them to be healthy and to have every opportunity afforded to them as was afforded to me.

And so that's why it's personal, and it's actually really fun too, Steve.

- I'm curious about this because I remember when you won the Russ Berrie Award for Making a Difference, you were surrounded by others who are making a difference in their own way in a variety of different areas because there's so much need out there.

I'm curious about this.

What was it like for you not just to win the award for Making a Difference, but to be around others who are doing such positive, impactful things?

What was that like for you, Robert?

- In many ways, it was surreal, Steve, and it continues to be humbling to be recognized for something that I love to do.

I was given counsel by a wise mentor many, many years ago that basically said that, "In order to keep what I had found, I had to give it away."

And so- - What does that mean?

- That means a life of service.

That means a life of the voice that I was given, the opportunities that I was given, the grace that I was given should be afforded to every interaction that I have.

Every young person that I interact with, every parent that I interact with, I approach that with the level of humility that doesn't take for granted the opportunities that I was given, and to make sure that I remember what it felt like to be in need.

And as long as I stay close to that, I think that the work kind of speaks for itself, but that's what centers me, right?

And to be surrounded by other people who are doing that, it gives me life, right, it gives me hope, and it makes me proud to be able to deliver on the promises that I made to myself and to many others who supported me when I was a younger man.

- What's it like for you, Robert, to see, to experience firsthand a young person in Newark doing impactful, positive things and beginning to reach their potential when they're facing so much incredible adversity and challenges in their own community?

What's that like for you?

- Umm, it is, it is... - It is often rewarding to watch young people sort of participate in the transformative process of beginning to realize that they can transcend circumstance for themselves, and in turn their families, and realize that that has a true sort of impact on their community.

That's a process for young people who are facing what may seem like insurmountable odds to realize that just because you were born into poverty doesn't mean you need to stay there.

And through hard work and high-quality education, networking, and taking advantage of your social network, you can transcend those things.

- With a helping hand.

- With a helping hand.

And so it's humbling for me to watch young people sort of in this transformative process and to be there to support them through discovery, relapse, and discovery again, 'cause it doesn't always happen when we want it to.

And so the grace that's needed to kind of support them through that is important.

- Hey, Robert, it's humbling for us to feature leaders like you.

Robert Clark, Founder and CEO of Newark Opportunity Youth Network.

Thank you, Robert.

Keep doing important things, and we'll keep featuring you.

All the best.

- Thank you, Steve.

- You got it.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

Prudential Financial.

The Russell Berrie Foundation.

PSE&G, RWJBarnabas Health.

Let'’s be healthy together.

New Jersey Institute of Technology.

PSEG Foundation.

And by NJM Insurance Group.

Promotional support provided by Insider NJ.

And by Northjersey.com and Local IQ.

NJM Insurance Group has been serving New Jersey businesses for over a century.

As part of the Garden State, we help companies keep their vehicles on the road, employees on the job and projects on track, working to protect employees from illness and injury, to keep goods and services moving across the state.

We're proud to be part of New Jersey.

NJM, we've got New Jersey covered.