Hartford Announces $1.5 Million in ARP Funding for Youth Grants
Hartford, CT - Today, the City of Hartford announced it has awarded $1.5 million in grants to 68 different youth-serving providers as part of the City's community-wide youth-engagement response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding, from the Biden Administration's American Rescue Plan (ARP), will serve more than 11,000 young people in Hartford providing sports, performing arts, and cultural programs, with a focus on areas of the city identified as enrichment activity deserts. This $1.5 million is part of $13.9 million designated for Youth Services & Support over the next three years from the City's ARP allocation. All programs operated by youth-serving providers will be free to Hartford residents, and residents will be able to enroll directly with those organizations.
This Spring, Mayor Luke Bronin asked the City's Children, Youth, and Families Recovery Working Group to partner with the Department of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation to help ensure all of Hartford's children and youth have the opportunity to re-engage in a fun enrichment activity of their choice, outside of the school walls, and this grant program is the latest initiative to come out of that work.
"The grants we're announcing today, supporting sixty-eight community youth providers big and small, represent just one part of our collective effort to help our young people recover, reconnect, and heal from this pandemic," said Mayor Bronin. "Young people have experienced so much disruption, isolation, and uncertainty over the last year, and one of the most important things we can do is give our kids the chance to reconnect with peers and mentors, get the support of caring, dedicated providers, and just have some fun – whether it's through sports, music, dance, or anything else. Over the next three years, we're committing $14 million of our American Rescue Plan funds to youth services and support, in addition to the approximately $100 million in funding that's directly supporting the Hartford Public Schools, and I'm so grateful to the dozens of providers who are doing this vital work in our community. We are also deeply grateful to our entire federal delegation and the Biden administration for giving us the resources to build back better."
"The organizations receiving these grants are doing the real work on the ground every day to serve our youth," said Rep. John B. Larson. "I fought for passage of the American Rescue Plan because of its historic investments in communities like Hartford that we have not seen since the New Deal. I applaud Mayor Bronin and the City of Hartford for awarding these funds to groups directly engaging with young people at such a crucial time."
"Sports, performing arts, and other cultural programs are critically important to the social and emotional development of our children," said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. "The pandemic caused Hartford's children to lose out on these critically important experiences. Federal funds will put kids back on the playing field and among their peers without any cost to their families. I commend Mayor Bronin and the City of Hartford's vision to expand its investment in our next generation."
"The pandemic has been tough on our kids' social and emotional health, and I was proud to fight for this funding in the American Rescue Plan," said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. "Students of all socioeconomic backgrounds deserve the chance to just be kids, and this funding for Hartford Summer UNITY will go a long way to help more students participate in sports, performing arts and cultural programs outside of the classroom."
Grants come in three levels of funding: 1) Less than $5,000; 2) $5,000 to less than $25,000; and 3) $25,000 and above. The grantees are:
Advocacy to Legacy: $4,900
Angel Number Twenty-Six: $4,850
Big Red Bird: $18,500
Blue Castle Key LLC: $4,875
Blue Hills Civic Association, in Partnership with Creativista Charm LLC: $124,700
Carrie McCrorey: $4,500
Center for Latino Progress – CPRF: $121,091
Center for Urban Research, Education and Training (CURET), Inc.: $24,999
Chanda Cato: $4,500
Charise Floyd-Pickering: $4,800
Charter Oak Cultural Center: $4,900
COMPASS Youth Collaborative: $4,750
Corey Knighton: $3,500
CT Scholars: $12,500
Curtis Knighton: $4,400
Daniel Olguin: $4,500
Darlene Charles-Sandy: $4,960
Dig Inc: $3,155
Ebony Horsewomen, Inc.: $25,000
Family Essentials Network Inc.: $4,500
Forge City Works: $4,900
GHPA Youth Basketball Program INC: $24,600
Girl Scouts of Connecticut: $35,039
Hartford Consortium for Higher Education: $50,000
Hartford Hurricanes: $24,220
Hartford Knights Corp.: $58,880
Hartford Lions Soccer Academy, INC: $4,990
Hartford Performs: $34,071
Hartford Police Athletic and Activities League (PAAL) Program: $49,700
Hartford Wildcats, Inc.: $100,000
Hartford's Camp Courant: $60,000
Hartfords Proud Drill Drum and Dance Corp.: $43,727
Hoopwave Sport Mentoring: $4,500
Horizons Youth Enrichment Program Inc.: $4,900
HYPE - Helping Young People Evolve: $4,900
Inara Ramin: $4,990
Jacqueline Bright: $3,500
James Gary: $4,990
Judy Dworin Performance Project, Inc.: $32,576
K LA RUE Educational Arts Motion: $4,990
Kaleb J Garrett : $4,850
Keney Park Sustainability Project: $18,000
Mamie Dash: $4,313
Michelle Texidor: $3,200
My Sisters Keeper United LLC : $4,800
New England Brothahood: $4,999
North Family Life Center, Inc: $21,770
NRO NIRO Design Center: $21,250
Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, Inc.: $4,775
Nyesha McCauley: $2,200
Posh Paint: $4,750
Sheldon Oak Central, in partnership with Summer of Solutions: $25,706
Sign Design and Banner: $4,500
Sportmen's Athletic Club and Cricket Hall of Fame: $18,000
Supreme Being Inc: $4,999
Thaddeus Taylor: $4,999
The Dream Support Network: $4,999
The DreamBig College : $40,000
The Miracle League of Connecticut: $24,131
TheRiseUpGroup: $4,000
Tiandra D Jewell: $4,800
TKH Global Consulting : $4,500
Tracy Funnye: $3,500
Troy Mckoy: $4,900
Urban League: $24,999
URISE Ventures, Inc.: $139,006
YMCA of Greater Hartford: $30,000
YWCA Hartford Region, Inc.: $99,180
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