Healthy Development
Our goal in the Office for Community Child Health (the Office) is for Connecticut children to have unlimited opportunities for holistic healthy development, starting in their earliest years and continuing through to college and career prep. This goal extends beyond the Office and is mutually celebrated by all members of Connecticut Children’s, including in Human Resources. Erica Cormier, a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant was able to have a hands-on experience with how Connecticut Children’s and other community programs are impacting the lives of children in the Hartford community as they prepare for their next chapter.
On January 10th, 2024, Hartford Promise, a scholarship and college success program for Hartford public school students, held their inaugural Career Fest. While Career Fest created several exciting opportunities for both Scholars and employers, it also served as an opportunity to bridge community transformation work being done within the Office to other members of Connecticut Children’s.
A Note from Erica
“I had the opportunity to attend the Hartford Promise Career Fest and represent Connecticut Children’s and the Talent Acquisition team. It was an amazing event to help bring their scholars and potential employers together. I enjoyed meeting so many college students and young talent in addition to wonderful partners and clients. Hartford Promise’s mission is to help transform the lives of thousands of Hartford students through an integrated college success model that provides them with the financial resources, support services, and key relationships that lead to college success and economic mobility. This mission makes me so proud that I could be part of this impact. The enthusiasm and professionalism that these scholars showed when talking to me about potential opportunities energized me. The excitement and passion in the Hartford community talent was inspiring to see. This is one of the reasons why I love being a recruiter for Connecticut Children’s and discussing the life-changing work we are doing as an organization. Even though I don’t provide direct care to the patients, I feel I’m part of the care that they receive by the incredibly talented team that I help to recruit into this organization. I feel it is so important to cultivate relationships with community program leaders in Hartford to provide them a point of contact for opportunities that they can share with their scholars that could potentially lead to a hire. I take pride in being able to develop these relationships and be a resource for our community members.”
Impacting the Community
The partnership between Connecticut Children’s and Hartford Promise has been formalized through the North Hartford Ascend Pipeline (Ascend. Ascend is the prototype for a place-based initiative that seeks to remove systemic barriers negatively impacting children and youths’ academic achievement and attainment, as well as quality of life outcomes. It operates in Clay Arsenal, Upper Albany, and Northeast -> the three neighborhoods that comprise the federally designated North Hartford Promise Zone. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Promise Neighborhoods Grant Program, the goal of Ascend is to build an integrated, coordinated, and comprehensive pipeline of supports and services in partnership with the community so children and families can reach their full potential. Connecticut Children’s is partnering with a range of service providers and organizations to address system barriers around, community and family engagement, family navigation, partner engagement, and data collection and analysis while promoting awareness of, access to, and utilization of programs and services.
Among many Ascend partners, Hartford Promise helps Hartford high school students navigate higher education exploration, enrollment, and performance. Their integrated college success model provides financial resources, support services, and key relationships that enable college success. With more than 1,000 students attending over 90 colleges and $9 million in scholarships administered, Hartford Promise is now expanding the support services they provide to their Hartford Promise Scholars as they transition from college graduation to career.
The collaboration between Connecticut Children's and Hartford Promise exemplifies the power of community partnerships in fostering holistic development and opportunities for the youth of Hartford. Through initiatives like the North Hartford Ascend Pipeline, systemic barriers are being broken down and paving the way for brighter futures. Erica Cormier's experience at the Hartford Promise Career Fest underscores the importance of such partnerships and the profound impact they have on both individuals and communities.