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June news & updates

June 6, 2025

SAVE THE DATE

More workshops added.

Space is limited.

P.S. Sign the NEW MOA and become a member of Norwalk ACTS today!

Check to see if you or your organization have signed the new MOA?

CEO CORNER

Happy June and Pride Month!

We were thrilled to host a packed convening on June 3rd focused on meaningful community engagement. We heard powerful insights from youth, school, and grassroots leaders about how listening to and working alongside community shapes their decisions and actions.

We were proud to honor Karina Mendez and Jennifer Murray-Mayhew, two of our Early Childhood Community Advocates, with the Ubuntu Award. We also presented the Sally Grose Award to Mayor Harry Rilling in recognition of his decades of public service to Norwalk and commitment to collective impact. In addition, we celebrated our new slate of board officers, welcomed new board members, and thanked those rolling off the board for their service.

As we shift into summer, there’s still time to register for our Day of Training on June 17th! This event is highly recommended for any youth-serving adult or organization.

Join us to learn how to best support the social-emotional health of children and youth as summer programs launch across Norwalk. Incredible workshops await!

Wishing you all a joyful, restful summer!

June Convening Updates

We had a massive turnout for our June Convening! Thank you for coming.

June Convening Slide Deck

June Convening Recording

Community Engagement Handout

A special thanks to our panelists:

1. Sandra Faioes, Norwalk Public Schools, Deputy Superintendent

2. Julienne Foy, Odyssey Family Executive Center, Executive Director

3. Dr. Julia Moore, YLTrapped Sisterhood, Chief Executive Officer

4. Aislinn Seiler, P-TECH Senior Student, Superintendent’s Student Leadership Council & Norwalk ACTS Youth Advocate

5. Eve St. Surin, Norwalk ACTS Early Childhood Community Advocate

BACKBONE UPDATES

Norwalk ACTS was presented with the 2025 Community Partner Award from The Norwalk Partnership!

The Social Emotional Health Initiative has been a long time collaborator and supporter of The Norwalk Partnership and the coalition of partners addressing critical issues for long term systems work change.

Congrats Anamilena and the SEH Steering Committee.

What We're Reading

Norwalk debuts tree planting pilot program to help the climate and job seekers

CT’s 2025 legislative session comes to an end. Here’s what to know

PARTNER FOCUS

Connecticut is facing a huge shortage in terms of licensed foster parents and FCA is hosting a foster parent recruitment event this weekend.

Norwalk TALKS

We have launched our new podcast, Norwalk TALKS! Listen on Spotify!

CORNERSTONE UPDATES

NEW 2025 Town Profile from CT Data

This profile provides data from 2016 to 2025. Learn more here

Don't miss this important conversation with Secretary Thomas and our own CT Cradle to Career Coalition Policy & Civic Engagement Director on June 25th. Email Arienne to receive virtual link.

See the bills our CT Cradle-to-Coalition tracked this Legislative Session that ended June 4th! Use the tracker

INITIATIVE UPDATES

Day of Training Updates

Workshops have been added to our Day of Training taking place on June 17th!

Registration ends June 11th!

Community Mindfulness Project joins SEH Initiative

Thank you to the Community Mindfulness Project for joining us at our SEH General Meeting to provide a much needed pause for our youth-serving providers. Providers got a chance to have a catered lunch and practice techniques of self care. The double benefit is that we can pass on lessons learned to the youth of Norwalk!

SEH PLEDGE

We have launched our SEH Pledge Campaign for youth-serving organizations leaders to sign to engage all social emotional health stakeholders. Let's all commit to available training and resources to support the social emotional health of all Norwalk youth! Have your organization made the commitment? Reach out to Anamilena for more information!

The Feelings Festival, a community engagement program organized by our Community Advocate, Eve St. Surin was a huge success.

Thank you to our location host, SoNo Library. We had over 30 infants and small children representing 15 families.

The Basics Norwalk

Free AI Training for

CT Residents

As a partnership between Google and Charter Oak State College, this free training opportunity is available to CT residents. Learning generative AI, which are tools that can compose documents, generate images, help program code or perform other work is essential for the workforce of the future. Learn more about the training here

For any questions regarding the Connecticut Online AI Academy, please contact Jon Draper at jdraper@charteroak.edu

Community Partners: In Focus

Our partners aligned with our mission have great employment opportunities. See below:

New Canaan Community Foundation - VP of Finance & Operation

Norwalk ACTS uses a Collective Impact approach that brings people, organizations, and systems together, in a structured way, around common goals to achieve social change. It is rooted in the belief that no single organization or entity alone can create lasting social change on its own.

Norwalk ACTS

[www.norwalkacts.org]

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