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May news & updates

May 20, 2025

SAVE THE DATE

WEDNESDAY!!

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

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

CEO CORNER

Dear Friends,


In April, we had the pleasure of presenting at a Lunch and Learn with Social Impact Partners, where we highlighted the success of our Opportunity Youth Healthcare Training Pilot. We were joined by our incredible community partners, Norwalk Hospital and Career Resources. You can learn more about the event here and read the report below!


As May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re doubling down on our commitment to supporting youth mental health. Earlier this month, we joined the community on the town green for the NorWALK for Mental Health—a wonderful event led by The Norwalk Partnership. Looking ahead, we’re hosting a special Social-Emotional Health (SEH) Initiative meeting on May 21, in collaboration with the Community Mindfulness Project. We also co-wrote an op-ed with the SEH Initiative steering committee to elevate awareness around our SEH Pledge and Day of Training on June 17th.


Our backbone team also took time to focus on wellness, thanks to a grant from the CT Council for Philanthropy Fairfield County Funders Network. We spent a restorative day at a staff wellness retreat in Stony Point, NY, facilitated by ReLOVEution. We are grateful for the opportunity to recharge and reconnect.


Lastly, save the date for our June 3rd Quarterly Convening, where we’ll focus on our Community Engagement Cornerstone. We’ll feature a diverse panel of partners discussing what meaningful community engagement looks like in various contexts. You can register here—we’d love to see you there!

Norwalk ACTS in the News

BACKBONE UPDATES

Thank you ReLOVEution for a fantastic Wellbeing Retreat! We ended our retreat with a hike in Harriman State Park!

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

PARTNER FOCUS

The SoFa is a webseries produced by CT State-Norwalk highlighting the people and organizations of Southern Fairfield (SoFa) County. They are our partner focus for the month of May.


Thank you for featuring our Civic Influencer Program: Community Organization Cohort on the SoFa Web Series! Watch here!


A new Civic Influencer Program Cohort will be announced soon!

What We're Reading


Chalk Talk: Norwalk schools face difficult financial bottom line, cutting $14M from budget request



Nancy on Norwalk: Planning and Zoning Commission Approves Expanded Daycare Regulations


CORNERSTONE UPDATES

Calling all Out of School Time Providers


The weather is warming up! Please update your summer 2025 offerings in our Out of School Time Program Locator.

Youth Reconnection


Reach out personally to your legislators. Remind them what’s at stake related to continued youth disconnection. Share your story. Urge bold action to support vulnerable youth and families. Contact our Policy & Civic Engagement Director, Kathleen Callahan, for help with your message.


Consider writing an Op-Ed (individually or with colleagues) on the issue that matters most to you, whether it’s youth success coaches, housing, special education, Medicaid rates or reimbursements for CHWs, or the child tax credit. We have people available to support drafts, provide talking points, and share widely.


Our collective voice still matters and can still shape what gets passed and funded.


NOTE: A final budget agreement must be reached by June 4, but the impact and response of looming federal funding cuts are expected to be taken up in a special session this summer.

See the bills our CT Cradle-to-Coalition is taking action on! Use the tracker below to stay updated!

INITIATIVE UPDATES


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!

The Basics Norwalk

Morning without Childcare rally on the Norwalk Green


Our Early Childhood Advocates joined Mayor Rilling, Early Childhood Providers, and preschoolers for the Morning without Childcare Rally!


Let your state legislators know that you support better pay for teachers and high-quality early care and education! Sign the Petition!

Sharing Lessons from Norwalk ACTS’s and SIP’s Collaboration on a Workforce Development Pilot for Opportunity Youth


We are very proud of the students who successfully completed the Healthcare Training Program and acquired full-time employment at Norwalk Hospital.


We are incredibly honored to have played a mjaor role in this collaborative effort with our partners at Norwalk Housing Authority, Youth Business Initiative, City of Norwalk, Fairfield County Community Foundation, Open Doors, Career Resources Inc., Norwalk Hospital, and Social Impact Partners.


Watch the presentation of The Power of Collective Impact: Building the Workforce Ecosystem together here

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:


CT Data Collaborative - Program Evaluation Specialist

Horizons 6-week Summer Program Faculty & Staff

Horizons at New Canaan Country School Tutor

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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