2022 IN REVIEW

Connect-Us Academy Class of 2022 with their Professional Mentors • May 2022

Message from Pam Lewis, Executive Director

*Pam Lewis and the 2022 Connect-Us Summer Fellows*

As a child growing up in the ‘60s, I was very impacted by the leadership and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His life’s work still has a profound impact on me, and the ongoing work of my life has been to make Dr. King’s dream a reality. Connect-Us is part of that dream.

Every year, Connect-Us organizes an MLK Day Show called Bridgeport Has a Dream: Building Bridges Across Fairfield County. Young people from all over Fairfield County participate in creating the show, with the young people of Bridgeport leading the way. Bridgeport Has a Dream is an opportunity for all of them to come together and express their own hopes and dreams for the world, the country, and their community… or perhaps, why they don’t have dreams.

The young people appreciate being asked to share what they think and how they feel about what’s going on in our world. As part of our work on the 2023 MLK Day Show, I asked the young people if they thought that systemic racism would ever be eliminated. And to my surprise, they said yes! They’re inspired by the social justice movements and conversations that are happening on stages big and small — from the multi-racial demonstrations that brought together millions of Americans in recent years, to the weekly Youth Leadership Team meetings at the Connect-Us office.

The vision that the young people of Connect-Us have for our country is powerful. They share Dr. King’s dream of social and economic justice for all. It’s the same vision I embraced when I was a kid, and I know it won’t happen in my lifetime… but maybe it will in theirs.

That’s why we keep up the fight. This work is important. And it’s not easy. We launched Connect-Us five years ago and every year I am so grateful for the supporters and friends who continue to lean in.

Thank you for another year of helping to make our community stronger. I hope you’ll join us at The Klein on Monday, January 16, 2023 for Bridgeport Has a Dream to celebrate the vision and leadership of the young people of Bridgeport.

With gratitude,

Pam

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

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2022 At a Glance

C-U Onstage!

We kicked off 2022 with over 350 young people and their families who enjoyed our annual MLK Day show at The Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport.
We held two auditions and a performance workshop that engaged 75 young people in the C-U Onstage! program.
On November 5, 275 people came out for our annual C-U Onstage! Talent Show at The Klein. The show featured 22 acts, and we had 26 volunteers from across Fairfield County who helped produce the annual community event.

Connect-Us Academy and the Connect-Us Academy Summer Institute

23 students participated in the 14-week Connect-Us Academy program this year.
The CUA Summer Institute again provided a paid virtual work experience for all graduates of the CUA. Over the course of four rigorous weeks, we partnered with 22 faculty members who led 13 sessions.
We placed an additional 12 CUA alumni in in-person summer internships at businesses across Fairfield County.
The CUA survey results illuminated the impact of the program on the participants: 100% feel more prepared to find and maintain a job; 100% feel more hopeful about their future and more confident in their ability to succeed in life; 100% feel better prepared for adulthood; and 100% feel they greatly improved their public speaking skills.

Connect-Us Youth Leadership Team and Summer Fellows

The YLT produced our two major community 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.
The Connect-Us Summer Fellows had more than 300 community outreach conversations with young people, adults, business owners, and community members throughout Bridgeport.
37 young people are currently active members of the YLT. They meet every week to discuss social issues and they are currently working on developing our 2023 MLK Day Show with a cast of 100 performers (we hope to C-U there!).

THANK YOU TO OUR 2022 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 2022!

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, at The Klein Memorial Auditorium. We had over 350 young people and their families who enjoyed the annual community event.

Bridgeport Has a Dream featured a multiracial, intergenerational cast from across Fairfield County. In addition to youth performers from Connect-Us, we partnered with the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras, New Creation Step Team, and The Klein Theatre Arts.

The Connect-Us Youth Leadership Team led the way by reading letters they wrote to Dr. King about their dreams for the country and the world. Here are some excerpts from their letters:

"My dream for the world is that one day everyone will not only acknowledge each other’s unique differences and cultures, but acknowledge that deep down we are all human." – Kobi O.

"I’m disappointed in my country and those in charge. But I still have hope. I believe in my generation –– that we can do much better things for this country and the world." – Elyjeh O.

"My dream is that America won’t give up on my people and my people won’t give up on America." – Ciara J.

We received many messages from audience members who were moved and inspired by the show:

“...The talent was tremendous, the sense of community was amazing and the message of hope was inspiring… It all sparked great conversation at our dinner table that night.”
“What a wonderful honoring of MLK and his legacy. ‘Creating hope,’ indeed.”
“The whole show was a very powerful message by the young people –– 'We’re not giving up!’”
“...Your organization guarantees that King’s dream lives on. Bravo!”

We are grateful to those who joined 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. C-U next year!

Watch the 2022 MLK DAY Show:

Learn More

CONNECT-US ACADEMY

On February 17, we held our Connect-Us Academy (CUA) Orientation at The Klein for the CUA students and their parents. We were joined by the CUA professional mentors, Connect-Us board members, and members of the Fairfield County business community, who showed their support for the students.

The fifth year of the Connect-Us Academy was a huge success, with workshops led by many corporate partners from across Fairfield County:

Pullman & Comley, LLC gave the young people an opportunity to learn how laws are made –– and they got to pretend they were elected members of the Bridgeport City Council and propose their own law based on a case study. Special thanks to Karen Wackerman, Potoula Tournas, Tobe Umeugo, Andres Jimenez-Franck and Tom Lambert!
Bridgewater Associates led the Resume Writing Workshop and the learning environment that we were able to create over Zoom in such a short period of time was extraordinary. Special thanks to Tara Arnold!
Daversa Partners led a workshop where the students developed mock pitches for companies like TikTok, Airbnb and Netflix, and then they presented their pitches to the whole group. Special thanks to Brittany Rosenfield and Brynn Daniels!
Barnum Financial Group led the “Mock Job Interview" workshop, where the students learned what companies look for in candidates and were interviewed by members of the Barnum team who provided personalized feedback and tips for being successful. Special thanks to Michelle Hite!
JPMorgan led a workshop on financial health skills where the young people learned about different career paths in banking and finance. Special thanks to Kelvin Savage, Gavin Johnson, Van Shell and Derby Chukwudi!

The semester also included a Stock Trading Simulation at Fairfield University with Dr. Walter Hlawitschka, How to Interview with Rich Eldh, Public Speaking and more!

*CUA class with their Professional Mentors and the team at Barnum Financial Group for the "Mock Job Interview" Workshop*

*Connect-Us Academy Class with Dr. Walter Hlawitschka –Stock Trading Simulation, Fairfield University*

*Stock Trading Simulation at Fairfield University*

*Corporate workshop at Barnum Financial Group*

Connect-Us Academy Class of 2022 with their professional mentors

The semester concluded with the Connect-Us Academy graduation on May 12 at Housatonic Community College. We heard inspiring remarks from our keynote speakers Robin Avant, dean of academic affairs for Housatonic Community College, and Frances Rowland, chair of the Connect-Us Board of Directors, and all of the graduates shared statements about their own growth and development.

“Before I started Connect-Us I was shy and I couldn’t speak without stuttering or second guessing myself. But I heard Pam say, ‘You gotta get comfortable with being uncomfortable,’ and that has been my motto ever since… This program taught me that I have to go and take chances and make connections and explore new interests because you never know where you’ll end up.” – Mahalia M.

“Connect-Us has taught me that my voice can have an impact... I’m not much of a talker, but when it is my turn, I realize that people are actually listening and building with me.” – Ania B.

“Connect-Us was better than I thought it would be. Many weeks I said to myself, ‘I can’t believe what we’re doing this week. I would not have done this anywhere else.’ I’m very thankful that a program like this exists right in my backyard.” – Jean Carlos C.

CONNECT-US ACADEMY SUMMER INSTITUTE

We provided paid summer work experiences for 35 young people this year: We placed 12 young people in in-person internships across Fairfield County and hosted 23 CUA graduates in the third year of our 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 critical professional workplace skills that support their development as they prepare to enter the workforce. 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.

Our first workshop was led by Julie Thomas of ValueSelling Associates, and Rich Eldh, Founder Emeritus at SiriusDecisions and dean of the CUA Summer Institute. Julie taught the graduates how to leverage the ValueSelling Associates communications framework and Rich introduced the overarching theme of the Institute: "Building Your Personal Brand." The first week's courses also included Public Speaking and Presentation Skills led by David Nackman, and Business Writing 101 led by Deb Sawch, Ed.D.

The second week was jam-packed: Rich returned to lead an Interviewing Masterclass; Joshua Cole and the amazing team at Pullman & Comley led a session on How to Impact Policy Changes in Your Community; Olivia Hartle, PhD led Social Media Presence and Performance; Melody Rollins of Bridgewater Associates led Developing Your Personal Brand; and the students began to work on their "Project Connect" Capstone Projects with Melissa Poli from Barnum Financial Group.

The last week of the program included a workshop led by Michelle Hite from Barnum Financial Group on Time Management; Wendy Agnew from Citi Private Bank discussed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals; Steve Wakeen from Playbook Coaching led a workshop on Becoming an Exceptional Leader; and the program concluded with the graduates presenting their final "Project Connect" Capstone Projects to the faculty and Connect-Us board.

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

YOUTH LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Connect-Us Youth Leadership Team (YLT) continues to be a cornerstone of our work, and we are thrilled to be in our fifth year of hosting this weekly program. In the YLT, participants learn community organizing and leadership skills, they practice public speaking and leading discussions, and they play a lead role in producing our annual community events.

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 2023 MLK Day Show with a cast of 100 performers (we hope to C-U there!).

The YLT produced our two major community 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. At these events, they served as team leaders, taught improv games, and led warm-up exercises with young people from the other Connect-Us programs, as well adult volunteers.

C-U Onstage!

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 5, 275 people came out for our annual C-U Onstage! Talent Show at The Klein. The show featured 22 acts, and we had 26 volunteers from across Fairfield County who helped produce the annual community event.

AWARDS, PARTNERSHIPS & APPEARANCES

*Pam Lewis with the* *other ACE Award winners*

Connect-Us Executive Director Pam Lewis was honored by the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County with this year’s Arts & Culture Empowerment (ACE) Educator Award. The purpose of the ACE Awards is to celebrate the passion for, and impact of, arts and culture across coastal Fairfield County, and to raise awareness of the quality and diversity of our region's arts and cultural offerings. A celebratory event was held on June 15, 2022. The keynote speaker was David Lehman, Commissioner for Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). Other speakers included Elizabeth Shapiro, Director of Arts, Preservation and Museums (DECD), and Jason Mancini, Executive Director, CT Humanities.

In June, Horizons at Sacred Heart University invited the Connect-Us staff and CUA summer interns who were placed at Horizons to lead a Performance Workshop for a team of teachers there. We are grateful to Executive Director Ashely Nechaev for creating this opportunity to play, perform, and grow together!

Connect-Us was proud to be the nonprofit featured in UConn’s Inaugural Global Alumni Case Competition, sponsored by UConn’s School of Business’ Office of External and Alumni Engagement. We are so grateful to UConn for this opportunity, and we are looking forward to building on what we learned from the ideas presented by the UConn alumni!

In celebration of International Women's Month, Pam was a guest on the "Community Vibes with BrownEyes" podcast where she discussed her decades-long work as a community organizer in an episode titled “Women in Leadership: Community Organizing on the Frontlines.”

The C-U Summer Fellows had the opportunity to meet and chat with Michael Patota, President & CEO of the Child and Family Guidance Center. Pam Lewis was also invited to present at an all-staff meeting. We appreciate their help in getting the word out about our programs and we value this important partnership!

We enjoyed connecting with the team at Full Circle Youth Empowerment: Founder/Executive Director Janeen Reid and Program Manager Melody Gonzalez. We're honored to be working together to support young people in Bridgeport!

Connect-Us Fifth Anniversary Celebration

On Sunday, October 2, Connect-Us Board Chair Frances Rowland and her husband Steve hosted a special event at their home in Westport for members of the Connect-Us community to gather and celebrate our fifth anniversary. At the event, Kelvin Savage, an Executive Director and Banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Greenwich, announced a $10,000 gift on behalf of the company. We are grateful for our many partners and look forward to our next five years!

COMMUNITY OUTREACH & ORGANIZING

During the summer, our weeks and weekends were busy with community outreach and organizing, led by Pam Lewis and the Connect-Us Summer Fellows. We had more than 300 conversations with young people, adults, business owners, and other community members throughout Bridgeport. We invited 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 parent meetings, school assemblies, and classrooms––both in person and online––and invited young people in Bridgeport to join our programs.