Our January Newsletter

JANUARY news & updates

January 12th, 2022

Upcoming Events

See what's happening this month.

Member Spotlight

The Norwalk Partnership

The Norwalk Partnership brings community members and organizations together to prevent substance misuse among youth and young adults by addressing local conditions.

In so doing, they contribute to their vision of Norwalk as a community that fosters mental wellbeing and supports safe and healthy behaviors across the lifespan.

Become a Norwalk ACTS member today!

CEO Corner

Jennifer D. Barahona, LCSW

Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful holiday season and were able to “fill some of your tank” to continue to tackle the challenges we face.

We know how real the burnout factor is. The backbone team was struck by this recent article on the education crisis and similar reports circulating about the crisis in healthcare.

In collective impact work, I often think of the phrase, “many hands make light work.” While we are in a time where there is probably no ‘light’ work, working together towards creative solutions surely makes ‘lighter’ work.

In the next few months, we have an opportunity to influence policy that will help our collective work to be more efficacious. To that end, in advance of the legislative session that starts next month, we invite you to join our first legislative breakfast (virtual) on January 20th to share your experiences and suggestions regarding the challenges we face with our elected officials. Please RSVP today!

We look forward to having you join this critical conversation. Stay healthy!

NORWALK ACTS EVENT

OUR WORK

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

PRENATAL TO 3RD GRADE

Data shows that children having a preschool experience show higher success rates in kindergarten readiness assessments.

For the current kindergarten class, the percentage of students who DID NOT attend preschool has jumped from 11% in 2020-21 to 20% in 2021-22.

To see and compare how the other Ready to Learn in Kindergarten indicators are trending, see our Trends Dashboard.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL HEALTH

The third annual International SEL Day is March 11, 2022! SEL Day is an opportunity to collectively spread the word about the importance and impact of social emotional learning. Working together, we can raise awareness for SEL, bring on new SEL stakeholders, create artifacts that demonstrate SEL in action, share SEL best practices… and more!

The January 2022 Wellness Bulletin for Norwalk Parents will be released during the week of January 17/

It can be accessed at: www.thenorwalkpartnership.org/blog

The Norwalk Partnership invites parents to an online event to hear about mental health and substance use in Norwalk families, based on our recent surveys, and to talk with local experts.

OUT OF SCHOOL TIME

Free after-school art classes will be available to select underserved high school students. Beginning on January 24th and running for 10 weeks, classes will meet once a week from 3:45 - 5:45 pm. All art classes are taught by Resident Artists under the direction of Educational Directors, Duvian Montoya, and Darcy Hicks.

The Youth Business Institute is excited to announce the launch of its Youth in Workforce program. This is a 10-week program that gives high school students the opportunity to prepare for the workforce. Students will leave this program with a professional portfolio to present at interviews and networking events. The goal is to have every student exit the program with secured employment.

Horizons at NCCS has extended its application deadline to January 14, 2022. Entry grades are K, 2, and 4 and there is a waitlist for other grades. Families need to qualify for free and reduced-price meals (FRPM) and prioritize students who are below grade level. The application can be found on their website: www.horizonskids.org

Grassroots is currently hiring a Director/Senior Director, Education & Impact and Youth Development Specialist. The job postings are available on their webpage - Grassroots Tennis & Education.

COLLEGE AND WORKFORCE READINESS

FREE Virtual FAFSA workshops for students and their families. There will be more to come on the list below.

Financial aid professionals will be available to help students and families navigate the process of need-based federal aid. Those who sign up will receive a checklist of items that they will need to successfully complete the process. These events are open to high school students across the state.

Tues., Jan. 18 — 6 pm — Open to all. Register here.

Wed, Jan. 26 — 6 pm — Open to all. Register here.

Sat., Feb. 5 — 11 am — Open to all. Register here.

Tues., Feb. 8 — 6 pm — Solo en Español. Regístrese aquí.

Wed., Feb. 16 — 6 pm — Open to all. Register here.

Thurs., Mar. 3 — 6 pm — Open to all. Register here.

Wed., Mar. 9 — 6 pm — Open to all. Register here.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING MORE INVOLVED?

JOIN NORWALK ACTS

GIVE WHILE YOU SHOP: Are you an Amazon shopper? Set Norwalk ACTS as your selected charity on Amazon Smile, and a portion of every purchase will be donated to transform how community works. Get started here.