Our stories
Sector Update: Early Childhood Education (ECE) June 2024
Stemming from Social Impact Partners’ impactful involvement in supporting the development of the Governor’s five-year Blue Ribbon Plan for early childcare and education, Governor Lamont recently passed two pieces of legislation, HB5002 and SB14, to prioritize ECE and childcare in Connecticut. Social Impact Partners’ Director of Early Childhood Education Karen Lott shared, “Social Impact Partners played a central role in the [Blue Ribbon Plan] being developed and had a lot of influence on what was included in the plan.” Marking a groundbreaking shift in the system, this pivotal step signifies a positive investment in the future of young children, ensuring they have access to high-quality education and care. Our community partner, Child Care for CT, was instrumental in advocating for the elements in this legislation and we are so proud to see their mission in action!
Sector Update: Workforce Development June 2024
Social Impact Partners continues its focus on Workforce Development to enable individuals from lower-income and marginalized communities to obtain quality jobs and achieve upward economic mobility. About 40% of Connecticut’s residents, 54% of which are Black and 57% are Hispanic, do not earn living wages. By addressing the dignity of people who want to work and contribute to their own families, communities and Connecticut’s economy, we can break cycles of poverty and reduce income inequality.
Our overarching goal is to build a robust workforce pipeline that caters to the diverse needs of job seekers and employers. Our three main initiatives are business engagement, career awareness and career pathways. We are engaging the business community to expand skills-based hiring, apprenticeship programs and diverse talent pipelines in healthcare, IT, and manufacturing, three high-demand sectors.
Board Member Highlight: Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez
Since coming to Hartford at the age of 9 with her mother and brother from Puerto Rico, Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez has lived her life based on her values, believing in the importance of community, creating a space for others to have a voice and the “responsibility we all have to serve others.” As the Superintendent and CEO of Hartford Public Schools, Dr. Torres-Rodriguez is grounded in the importance and “systematic need to create conditions and pathways for young people to be seen, feel heard and feel worthy”.
Volunteer Partner Highlight: Temy Mancusi-Ungaro
“I believe that we have an obligation to give back. We don’t all start with the same advantages, therefore those of us who have them need to give back to create access for others by using the knowledge we have gained by the opportunities we were given,” said Temy.
Volunteer Partner Highlight: Cheryl Hilton
Cheryl believes deeply in the importance of listening in her Social Impact Partners engagements, knowing the power of true partnership comes from a place of mutual respect and collaboration. “I like to approach projects by saying, ‘You tell me what you want and we’ll figure out how to build it’ ”said Cheryl.
Connecticut State Government Work Update: Early Childhood Education
The final Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care report can be found HERE. The five-year strategic plan included in this report aims to stabilize, strengthen and expand Connecticut’s early childhood system.
Social Impact Partners has been honored to support the Blue Ribbon Panel and the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) in developing this plan. Social Impact Partners, with the leadership of staff Jennifer Gerber and Dr. Monisha Gibson, played a wide range of roles, including project planning and management; financial modeling and analysis; and consulting support for two of the workgroups.