Assemblyman Keith Brown (R,C-Northport) obtained a $25,000 bullet aid grant to Northport High School to help ease the transition of freshmen students into high school by creating a pilot mentorship program and make them become part of the school community. The funding was part of the 2022 State Budget.

“This idea pairs upperclassmen with incoming freshmen to take some of the stress out of the transition into high school,” said Brown. “I am really pleased to start this Pilot Program at Northport High School where I attended. Students will be paired with another student with similar interests, so they will have something to talk about and bond over, helping to improve everyone’s mental health and foster a more positive, familiar and caring environment in the school. If successful, we hope to replicate it in other school districts in Suffolk County and hopefully take it statewide.”

“We appreciate the support from Assemblyman Brown,” said Banzer.We continue our focus on strengthening student connections and relationships and the opportunity to pilot this Mentoring Program will further our capacity to do so.” 

The transition to high school can be an awkward and difficult time for any student, but particularly so in post-pandemic times when students are less used to socializing as they may have been in the past. The Assemblyman met with Northport-East Northport School District Superintendent, Robert Banzer, to present a ceremonial check for the program, but he also hopes to advance legislation he sponsors to make this a pilot program with the eventual goal that similar programs would be available statewide for all New York State schools (A.10174).