2021 IN REVIEW

Connect-Us Academy Class of 2021 with their Professional Mentors • May 2021

 

Message from Pam Lewis, Executive Director

Congratulations to the Connect-Us Community!

We launched Connect-Us in 2017 and we’ve been creating opportunities every day for young people in Bridgeport to develop and grow. Since the start of the pandemic, it has become clear to me that there is something more we are creating together—we are creating hope.

Pam and members of the Youth Leadership Team • October 2021

Young people in Bridgeport often share with me that they feel aimless, apathetic and lost. They feel like they don’t see a future for themselves. But, every young person needs to dream––and they deserve to have access to resources and opportunities to pursue their dreams.

Hope is an activity that people create together. It is more than an abstract idea or feeling. Hope is a practice that requires time, consistency, and a lot of creative energy… It is hard work!

So, when I think about the hope we are creating together at Connect-Us, I think about:

  • The young people who come into our programs too shy to speak and they find their voice;

  • The slow and deliberate approach taken by our professional mentors to teach skills that help young people prepare to work in a business setting;

  • The improvisational games we play that allow young people to see themselves and each other in new ways;

  • The pride and sense of accomplishment that our young leaders express after producing a successful event;

  • The experience the young people have of feeling supported by adults who are willing to break down the barriers that keep them from realizing their dreams.

At Connect-Us, we choose to create hope together. We choose to believe that things can be better for everyone and we choose to fight to make them better. The decisions we make each day to show up for one another––to support each other, to be kind to each other, to play and laugh and explore new ways of building community together––that is our practice of hope. I believe that choosing to create hope is what gives us our humanity. 

We are heading into the new year with our sights set on the future and the future that we are collectively building.

I’m feeling hopeful. I hope you are, too.

With gratitude,
Pam

–––
Pam Lewis
Executive Director
203-864-9129
plewis@connectusct.org

 

2021 At a Glance

C-U Onstage!

  • We kicked off 2021 with over 2,000 people tuning in for our annual Martin Luther King Day show. We recorded the show at The Klein Memorial Auditorium and streamed it online.

  • For this year’s C-U Onstage! Talent Show, we held two auditions and a performance workshop, and engaged 75 young people in the program.

  • On November 6, we held our annual C-U Onstage! Talent Show live and in person. The 150-person event at The Klein featured 19 performances with 22 volunteers helping to produce.

Connect-Us Academy and Summer Institute

  • 19 students participated in the 14-week Connect-Us Academy program, which was held entirely online this year.

  • The Connect-Us Academy Summer Institute again provided a paid virtual work experience for all graduates of the Connect-Us Academy. Over the course of four rigorous weeks, we had 18 faculty members lead 17 sessions. 

  • We also placed an additional 11 Connect-Us Academy alumni in in-person internships at businesses across Fairfield County this summer.

  • The CUA survey results illuminated the impact of the program: 100% of the participants reported feeling more prepared to find and maintain a job; 100% reported feeling more hopeful about their future and more confident in their ability to succeed in life; 100% reported feeling better prepared for adulthood; and 100% reported that they greatly improved their public speaking skills.

Connect-Us Youth Leadership Team (YLT)  

  • The YLT produced our two big public events this year and helped organize hundreds of people from across Fairfield County to come together to celebrate and support the young people of Bridgeport.

  • 37 young people are active members of the YLT. They meet every week to discuss social issues and they are currently working on developing our 2022 MLK Day Show with a cast of 100 performers (we hope to see you there!).

THANK YOU TO OUR 2021 PARTNERS!

We are grateful for our partnership with dozens of businesses and organizations throughout Fairfield County. Thank you to all of the businesses and organizations who worked with us in 2021!

BRIDGEPORT HAS A DREAM:
BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS FAIRFIELD COUNTY

 
 

We kicked off the year strong with our annual MLK Day Show, Bridgeport Has a Dream: Building Bridges Across Fairfield County. We had over 2,000 people from all over the world tune in to watch the show! (Download the program.)

Bridgeport Has a Dream featured a multiracial, intergenerational cast of 63 people from across Fairfield County. In addition to youth performers from Connect-Us, we partnered with the Wilton Conservatory of Dance, New Creation Step Team, KEYS and the Talmadge Hill Church Choir, and Staples High School. In the virtual show, the performers paid tribute to Dr. King through song, dance, rap, and personal letters, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal made remarks as well.

Our MLK Day Celebration is held annually at The Klein Memorial Auditorium, and for this year's online showcase, many of the acts were safely recorded onstage at The Klein during a socially distanced video shoot.

We received dozens of messages from the people who watched. They shared how moved and inspired they were by the statements and performances from the fantastic cast––in particular, the statements and performances from the young people, who led the way.

We are so grateful to everyone for joining us in celebrating and paying tribute to the great life and work of Dr. King, and we are honored to partner together to continue his legacy!

Watch the Show:

 
 

CONNECT-US ACADEMY

Connect-Us Academy Orientation • February 2021

On February 18, we held our Connect-Us Academy (CUA) Orientation. We virtually hosted 80 guests who tuned in to support and celebrate the young people of the CUA. In their statements, the students shared how eager they are to grow and to be challenged in new ways through this program, and how they want to step up as leaders in their communities. We are grateful to our keynote speakers Robin Avant, Dean of Academic Affairs at Housatonic Community College, and Rich Eldh, Co-Founder Emeritus at SiriusDecisions, who delivered personal and inspiring remarks.

Watch the Orientation:

 
 

The fourth year of the Connect-Us Academy kicked off with a workshop led by our partners, Pullman & Comley, where the young people had the opportunity to learn how laws are made and propose their own law based on a case study.

The semester also included Resume Writing with Bridgewater Associates, Developing a Pitch with Daversa Partners, Finance 101 with JPMorgan, The Future of the Workplace with Barnum Financial, Stock Trading Simulation with Walter Hlawitschka and Mark Axelowitz, How to Interview with Rich Eldh, Public Speaking and more!

Workshop with Pullman & Comley LLC

Stock Trading Simulation with Walter Hlawitschka, Fairfield University Business School

The semester concluded with the Connect-Us Academy Graduation on May 13. All of the students presented graduation statements that were very moving and gave expression to how much they have grown during the course of the program. Thank you to our keynote speakers Dr. Carmen McPherson, school administrator at Central High School, and Tara Arnold, head of community relations at Bridgewater Associates.

 

CUA Graduation Keynote Speakers Dr. Carmen McPherson and Tara Arnold

 

Watch the Graduation:

 
 

CONNECT-US ACADEMY SUMMER INSTITUTE

2021 marked our second successful summer of the Connect-Us Academy Summer Institute (CUA-SI). The CUA-SI is a virtual leadership and professional skills development program where CUA graduates have the opportunity to drill down on the critical professional workplace skills that they would have otherwise developed during the course of their summer internships. The program features a robust curriculum and a world-class faculty, designed and selected in concert with our corporate partners, business leaders, and internship sponsors.

In addition to the Summer Institute, we placed a group of CUA alumni in in-person internships at companies across Fairfield County this summer, including Display, Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut, and Horizons at Sacred Heart University.

CUA alumni (seated) at Display, a new social media company based in Norwalk, with the Display team: Quantasia Brown, HR Director (top left), Yan-Li Che, IT Specialist (top center) and Greg Fell, CEO (top right).

CUA-SI Student Capstone Presentation

CUA-SI workshop with Steve Wakeen, CEO & Leadership Coach; Founder, Playbook Coaching

The theme of the Summer Institute was “Building Your Personal Brand.” The program was designed to give students the skills and confidence they need to develop a strong personal voice that is persuasive, compassionate, and relevant. The curriculum was constructed to foster self-awareness, develop skills, and cultivate each person’s leadership potential by setting the foundation to build their personal brand.

Thank you to our faculty for an extraordinary summer!

  • Rich Eldh, Founder (Emeritus), SiriusDecisions, Inc., and Dean of the Connect-Us Academy Summer Institute

  • Bank of America, team, organized by Robyn Peters and Carol Heller

  • Pullman & Comley, team of attorneys

  • Wendy Agnew, Senior Portfolio Manager, Citi Private Bank

  • Olivia Hartle, Ph.D., Improvisation Consultant; Learning Experience Designer, Crisis Text Line

  • Michelle Hite, VP, Human Resources, Barnum Financial Group

  • David Nackman, Creative Director, Performance of a Lifetime

  • Melissa Poli, Human Resources Consultant, Barnum Financial Group

  • Melody Rollins, Senior Client Advisor, Bridgewater Associates

  • Deb Sawch, Ed.D., Education Consultant and Instructor

  • Deirdre Smith, College Prep Consultant

  • Julie Thomas, President & CEO, ValueSelling Associates

  • Karen Wackerman, Counsel, Pullman & Comley

  • Steve Wakeen, CEO & Leadership Coach; Founder, Playbook Coaching

"I am a leader who wants to help people and fight for what's right... I joined this program to become better at being a leader, to learn things I cannot learn in school, and to meet new people and learn from their experiences." – Elyjeh O.

"Programs like this are very important because it helps us get to know people from different backgrounds. Seeing everyone work together gives me motivation. We all want to grow, learn, and gain confidence." – Tahmina E.

"We all grew in many different ways. In my case, I could say this experience helped me to overcome my low confidence, making me feel proud of myself and conscious of my own identity." – JAQUELINE P.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Youth Leadership Team (YLT) is a cornerstone of our work and it was the first program that Connect-Us launched in Bridgeport in 2017. The program is both a training ground for young community organizers and leaders, and it serves as a gateway for involvement in the other Connect-Us programs.

We have 37 young people who are active members of the YLT. They meet every week to discuss social issues and they are currently working on developing our 2022 MLK Day Show with a cast of 100 performers (we hope to see you there!).

The YLT produced our two big public events this year and helped organize hundreds of people from across Fairfield County to come together to celebrate and support the young people of Bridgeport. They serve as organizers and area leads, and they teach improv games and lead exercises with students from the other Connect-Us programs.

C-U Onstage!

C-U Onstage! • November 2021

This fall, we held two C-U Onstage! auditions––one at Housatonic Community College and one The Klein Memorial Auditorium. Special thanks to Prof. Geoffrey Sheehan, Professor of Theater Arts, and Robin Avant, Dean of Academics Affairs at Housatonic Community College, for their great partnership!

We also held our annual performance workshop at The Klein and we and engaged 75 young people in the program.

On November 6, we held our annual C-U Onstage! Talent Show live and in person. The 150-person event at The Klein featured 19 performances with 22 volunteers helping to produce.  

 
 

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, PARTNERSHIPS & RECOGNITION

In March, as part of Women's History Month, Pam was interviewed for a feature on Covenant House's blog. The interview highlights Pam's work as a youth organizer and traces her story from Kansas to New York to Connecticut. Read the interview »

In May, Pam was invited to speak on a panel as part of INTEMPO's "Voices and Actions" event, a convening on diversity, equity and inclusion centering BIPOC leaders, cultural practitioners, and communities. The panel was titled, "Voices of Non-Profit Leaders: Building a Thriving Community Through Celebrating the Diversity of Connecticut." Watch the recording »

Read about the "Voices of Non-Profit Leaders" panel in the New Haven Independent.

In June, Pam spoke at the Bridgeport Regional Business Council's annual meeting, on a panel titled "Workforce Development and Industry Impact in the Greater Bridgeport Region." The panel was moderated by Bill Tommins, Southern Connecticut Market President, Bank of America, and was hosted in collaboration with Fairfield County's Community Foundation.

Also in June, Pam served as a discussion leader for the Westport Christ and Holy Trinity Church’s Anti-Racism Program. Later, Pam and youth leaders from Connect-Us led a Performance Workshop at Horizons at Sacred Heart with a team of 43 teachers and interns. Thank you, Ashely Nechaev, Executive Director, for organizing the workshop!

COMMUNITY OUTREACH & ORGANIZING

During the summer, our weeks and weekends were busy with community outreach and organizing, led by Pam Lewis and C-U Program Production Assistants Karl Gregory and Emmanuel Vereen. We had hundreds of conversations on the streets of Bridgeport this summer, inviting everyone we met to join the Connect-Us programs and help us get the word out.

During the school year, we partnered with local high schools and spoke at numerous parent meetings, school assemblies, and classrooms––both in person and online––and invited young people in Bridgeport to join our programs. In 2021, Pam was also invited to speak at the Bridgeport Parents’ Round Table with Superintendent Testani.

SUMMER OF THE 60s Campaign

Executive Director Pam Lewis turned 60 in July and she set out to raise $60,000 with the “Summer of the 60s” fundraising campaign. With the support of 93 individual donors and a generous matching gift of $37,000 (in honor of Pam's 37 years of work in youth development), she raised over $87,000 for Connect-Us!

Pam was a child of the '60s and this campaign was a celebration of the decade that shaped her hopes and dreams for the country and the world. Inspired by people like Bayard Rustin, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr. King, and so many others, Pam chose to pursue a life of community activism––and she founded Connect-Us to work with young people in Bridgeport to create new performances in their lives and develop as leaders in their communities.

THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL YEAR!

Join us AT THE KLEIN for MLK Day on January 17, 2022!