We hosted the 2nd annual post-COVID Stamford Early Childhood Fair on May 27, 2023, at Mill River Park to highlight the importance of early childhood education, offer easily accessible information to families, and create a fun family activity. Twenty-four providers tabled providing information about their programs, giveaways, and fun activities for the children including ramps and tunnels, bubbles, sand sensory table, Lego activity, coloring, seed shaker garden activity, and bean bag toss. 585 people attended from 191 families, including 253 children 5 and under.   

The Greater Stamford Parenting Partnership (GSPP) is a small group of home-visiting and parenting program providers that met monthly to increase awareness and understanding about the availability and value of home-visiting and parenting programs in Stamford. The group also served as a learning community to improve practices and services on areas such as program outreach, program retention, and engaging fathers/father figures. On October 14, 2023 the group hosted a Fatherhood Engagement event at the Boys and Girls Club. The event targeted fathers/father figures and the important role they play in a child’s life, although all families with children ages 0-5 were welcome. 46 people attended and eight organizations provided play activities and information on programs and resources. Several organizations signed up new fathers for their programs and families enjoyed the indoor play opportunity, food, and raffles on a rainy day.  

We continued to share and support both families and early childhood providers on the availability and use of the Sparkler app as a resource to support positive, play-based child development and screening. In fall of 2022 we launched a Family Childcare Task Force comprised of two-family childcare directors, a representative from Child Development Infoline, and two representatives from All Our Kin. This group created a Sparkler Welcome Packet for family childcare programs and their families new to joining Sparkler. The Welcome Packet was shared with family childcare providers in March 2023 at All Our Kin’s Family Childcare Educational Meeting.  We have also worked closely with Stamford Public Schools to support Sparkler as a part of the Kindergarten registration process to facilitate sharing between caregivers and Kindergarten teachers.   

Summer 2023 was the fourth year of our Stamford Summer Literacy Initiative (SSLI). Based on feedback from 2022, the program shifted to literacy enrichment and support for all campers during a dedicated literacy block each day, which reached almost 400 students across the Boys and Girls Club and ROSCCO summer camps. Activities included independent reading, read-alouds, literacy games, mystery readers, a read-a-thon, a book walk, and alignment to the Ferguson Library’s Summer Reading Club. We also partnered with Stamford Public Schools to provide on-site summer school which allowed students recommended for summer school to receive daily small group instruction from one of two Stamford Public School teachers. Read the full 2023 report for more details.

Engaging and supporting families on strategies for helping their children develop literacy skills continued to be a focus in the 2022-2023 school year. In November 2022 twenty-eight family members attended a workshop facilitated by Stamford Public Schools on How to Help Your Child Learn to Read. The hybrid event included Spanish interpretation and dinner. In June 2023 Child Guidance Center of Southern CT facilitated a workshop on Supporting Social Emotional Wellness. Spanish interpretation and dinner were provided for the 19 attendees. We also continued family meet and greet events during camp pick-up throughout the summer, sharing Ferguson Library resources, summer camp literacy activities, free books, and popsicles. 

The goal of our professional development work is to share tools, resources, and strategies used in Stamford Public Schools (SPS) with out-of-school time providers to improve their ability to support children’s literacy skills. In the 2022-2023 school year, SPS leaders facilitated a four-part series covering SPS Assessments & Curriculum, Oral Language, Phonemic Awareness, and Phonics. An average of 23 people attended each session representing nine partner organizations that work with children to support literacy skills and several community members.

Bridge to College is a free program that provides as-needed resources, support, and guidance to students between high school graduation and the first day of college classes. In 2023, the program reached almost 900 seniors with regular messaging and reminders through Signal Vine about completing the college enrollment process. Of these seniors, 87 students received additional, one-on-one support, from one of four school counselors working with the B2C program. Seven virtual Keys to Success workshops were also offered to students, on topics such as financial aid, financial literacy, developing your professional identity, and social emotional wellness. See our 2023 summary for the longitudinal impact of Bridge to College since 2019.   

In 2023, we made significant progress in supporting college readiness for youth and families in Stamford through two key initiatives:

• College Prep Hub: a comprehensive website filled with resources to help students and their families plan for college or alternative career pathways. This hub provides a planning timeline through high school and essential information on academic and non-academic support including discovering your interests, tips for high school success, and choosing the right type of school or post-high school path.

Spanish Webinars: live, virtual Spanish webinars offered support to make college planning accessible to all students and their families with topics including: The importance of college visits; Supporting undocumented students seeking higher education, and Scholarships.

Our first full year with our five Youth Leadership Interns was very successful. The goal of the internship goes beyond organizing events; it is about empowering our youth and community to have a voice in our decision-making process and providing them with opportunities to practice their skills and ensure their voices are heard. With their leadership, we hosted our first-ever Teen Fair in March 2023, with 20 organizations from across the city sharing resources and how youth can get involved and over 100 students attending. Additionally, in the spring/summer of 2023, our interns played a crucial role in supporting the SRO (School Resource Officer) Bill 1. They did research, compiled a presentation, and engaged in advocacy and awareness efforts about the impact of school resource officers on student well-being. Our interns also represented SC2C at various youth events, fostering connections with peers and community leaders. Their dedication and hard work have truly made a difference in our community.

In 2023, Stamford Cradle to Career’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC) served as a vital bridge between the organization and the Stamford community. Comprising 10 parents representative of Stamford’s rich diversity, the PAC met monthly, providing essential feedback and acting as trusted community messengers. Members of this dedicated group were selected through an application process, ensuring a range of perspectives and lived experiences. To maximize accessibility and engagement, PAC members received a monthly stipend, with childcare and meals provided during meetings. This inclusive approach empowered caregivers to lend their voices to shaping initiatives that resonate with and support Stamford families.

In 2023, Stamford Cradle to Career’s Parent Ambassadors, Melanie Amador and Tamika Cope, played a crucial role in expanding the organization’s reach and impact. Serving as Sparkler Liaisons and supporting several community-facing events, Melanie and Tamika worked tirelessly to share valuable resources with families across Stamford. This part-time role allowed Stamford Cradle to Career to build capacity, ensuring a presence at more events and enhancing the organization’s ability to stay informed by directly engaging with the community. Their dedication and efforts have strengthened connections with families and furthered the mission to support children and caregivers in Stamford.

In January 2023, SC2C officially launched its Full-Service Community Schools at Rippowam and Dolan Middle Schools. Much of the year was dedicated to planning, including solidifying partnerships, creating data collection plans and collecting data from surveys and focus groups, setting up programming, and hiring two Community School Managers, Shawn Davis at Rippowam and Leticia De Le Rosa at Dolan. During the 2023-2024 school year, we started implementation of several new initiatives at each school, including after school enrichment programming, family engagement events, and a family resource center, and supported many existing activities at the schools that all contribute to achieving the four main goals for the Community Schools:

• Academic and Social Preparation: Students are prepared to succeed academically and socially during the transition from middle to high school
• Healthy Bodies and Minds: Students are healthy and able to participate fully in school
• Families are Welcome: Families have a sense of belonging within the schools and have access to knowledge and support on how best to support their child
• School are Safe and Supportive: Schools create and maintain safe and supportive school climate and culture

To ensure our Community Schools work is rooted in the voice and needs of the schools, we also instituted School Advisory groups at each school. These groups meet monthly and are comprised of students, school staff, parents, and community partners.