New & Noteworthy
Hartford Foundation Awards More Than $780,000 to Greater Hartford Summer Programs
More than 6,200 children and youth and individuals with disabilities will participate
Although summer vacation is an exciting time for school aged kids, it can present an array of challenges for caregivers and working parents. The summer months often weigh heavily on the minds of Hartford families because of the difficulty in finding reliable and affordable childcare that provides well rounded enrichment. For caregivers who tend to people with disabilities, finding a capable facility that offers quality care can feel unachievable.
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving understands the concerns of Hartford families and caregivers during those summer months and is providing $782,283 to support 32 summer programs in Greater Hartford. The grants will support more than 6,200 Hartford youth, including more than 350 youth and adults with disabilities, who reside throughout our 29-town region.
Hartford’s Proud, Drill, Drum, and Dance Corp is one of this year’s grantees and provides an excellent example the kind of quality organizations long supported by the Foundation’s summer program grants. The nonprofit uses sound, movement and artistry to develop academic, social and positive behavior among youth ages 5-24. The Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to allow the organization to engage 30 Hartford youth ages three to 18 to participate in activities that seek to foster empowerment through the arts by creating a safe environment for students to express themselves and develop a sense of belonging. The grant will also fund costumes and supplies, studio rental fees, workshops, travel expenses, and more, providing some financial relief to program participants.
“In 10 years, I envision Hartford’s Proud as a thriving, influential force both within our community and in the broader performing arts world,” said Hartford’s Proud founder Terry Starks. “Our goal is for every participant to leave Hartford’s Proud not only with artistic skills but also with values that shape them into engaged, compassionate adults.”
This year’s summer program grants will support free or reduced-cost opportunities for nearly 3,400 Hartford youth and Greater Hartford youth and adults with disabilities to attend summer camp and provide nearly 2,900 youth with access to summer enrichment programs.
In underserved communities like Hartford, there is a significant gap in paid opportunities for young people with supervised career leadership. The Foundation’s 2025 summer program grants include support for 131 counselor-in-training opportunities, providing Black and Latine youth with career exposure, employment opportunities and training, and the chance to develop essential life skills.
“This year’s summer program grants showcase and highlight the vast number of programs that are supporting our Hartford youth, and youth and adults with disabilities,” said Alexis Safo-Agyeman, a Community Impact Officer at the Hartford Foundation. “From grassroot programs making waves in their neighborhoods, to camps that support individuals from our 29 towns, we know that with each program comes support for working families, work experience for students, and opportunities for kids to engage in learning and fun all summer long.”
2025 Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Summer Program Grant Recipients:
| Organization Name | Program Description | 2024 Recommended Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2-4-1 CARE, Inc | The 2-4-1 Active City Sports Camp follows the principles of both the American Development Model (ADM) and Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model to offer a free sports-based summer program at a Hartford public school site for children and youth ages 6 - 18, offering two one-week sessions. Sports of focus will include basketball, soccer, volleyball, golf, Double-Dutch, and fencing. | $20,000 |
| 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm | Auerfarm's Growing Opportunities is a career and educational development campership and CIT program for high school students with special needs. The camp provides workforce development skills in agriculture and small group tutorial science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) focused activities, offered through six one-week sessions free of charge. | $45,000 |
| American School for the Deaf | American School for the Deaf's multi-week campership and tutorial programs, Extended School Year and Camp Isobella, serves deaf and hard of hearing students, as well as hearing students with unique communication needs. The Extended School Year tutorial program provides additional academic support to retain the academic skills acquired during the school year for children and youth ages 6 - 18. Camp Isola Bella provides deaf and hard of hearing campers, ages 8 - 17, with a variety of recreational and educational activities fostering teamwork, enhanced communication, and cooperation. | $20,000 |
| Arts for Learning Connecticut | Arts for Learning Connecticut, in partnership with the Hartford Public Library, is an enrichment program that will provide eight week-long residencies at each of Hartford Public Library's summer programming sites. Teaching artists will build curricula for students ages 6 - 18 to learn varied art form expressions, which will incorporate social emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, and National Core Arts Standards. | $10,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, Inc. | The Summer Fun Club's seven-week campership and CIT program provides a comprehensive summer experience for children ages 6 - 13 and CITs ages 15 - 18 that will enable and empower youth to discover and develop their individual intellectual, social, and physical potential, as well as expose them to communal responsibilities. Youth will engage in daily literacy and recreational activities, cultural programming, and arts and life skills development. | $50,000 |
| Camp Courant, Inc. | Camp Courant's campership provides free, six one-week sessions for Hartford youth ages 5 - 12 to participate in a safe, educational, and recreational environment at its Farmington campsite. Campers will have access to traditional outdoor camp adventures, specialized music and performing arts programs, STEM and manufacturing, and an Early Learning Center for the youngest campers. | $50,000 |
| Christ Church Cathedral | The Bee-conomy and Christ Church Cathedral present a transformative four-week summer camp for children and youth in Greater Hartford, blending personal growth, artistic development, and environmental stewardship. | $10,000 |
| Community First School, Inc. | The Build a Better Community Summer Enrichment program will offer a free, five-week summer session for children ages of 5 - 11 years at the Swift Factory Campus. In collaboration with Build a Better You, LLC, a black-owned mental health agency, Community First School will offer morning academic programs, use of nearby outdoor parks, and afternoon recreational and arts activities. Summer camp will close with a family engagement event to showcase summer accomplishments and performances. | $20,000 |
| Connecticut Science Center, Inc. | The Science Center's ÒScience of SummerÓ programs address summer learning loss head-on for students by delivering access to science experiences for more than 490 students during the summer months. Science Center content not only teaches scientific concepts but also requires students to directly engage with the scientific process. | $5,000 |
| ConnectiKids, Inc. | The ConnectiKids Vintage Summer Program is a five-week program, which includes book club and afternoon enrichment. Classes combine activities to nurture students' reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. On Fridays, they will have coordinated field trips related to the themed curriculum, wherein the students will use the skills learned in the classroom. | $30,000 |
| Cultural Dance Troupe of the West Indies | Cultural Dance & Media Summer Program 2025 is a 6-to-8-week initiative for Hartford youth aged 11-18 and CIT program. It blends cultural dance, digital media, and mindfulness activities to foster creativity, technical skills, and cultural pride. Participants receive training in Caribbean folk dance, ballet, and contemporary dance, culminating in a multimedia showcase; digital media workshops focus on videography, photography, and personal branding. The Counselor-in-Training (CIT) Program offers 10 youth leadership and technical training. | $15,000 |
| Futures, Inc. | The Career Exploration and Employment Enrichment is a free six-week tutorial program for individuals ages 15 - 18 with disabilities. The program incorporates six modules, including vocational assessment and team building, exploring skilled trades such as carpentry and painting, electrical and plumbing, learning computer technology, engaging in landscaping and gardening, and participating in field visits to work sites or post-secondary campuses. | $30,000 |
| Goodwin University | Manufacturing in Motion (MIM) is an enrichment program that offers a mobile advanced manufacturing lab, introducing middle and high school students who are enrolled at various Hartford camp sites to manufacturing careers. | $10,000 |
| HARC, Inc. | HARC, Inc.'s Capable Kids program is a free, six-week summer camp for children and youth ages 3 - 18 with intellectual and related disabilities. The summer theme of 2023 is ÒTogether We Triumph.Ó | $30,000 |
| Hartford City Mission | Hartford City Mission's Camp Noah and CIT program is a free, six-week camp that offers STEM enrichment, arts and crafts, storytelling, digital arts, performing arts, leadership training, and optional faith curricula for Hartford youth ages 3 - 18. | $30,000 |
| Hartford Public Library | Hartford Public LibraryÕs Summer Literacy and STEM Enrichment Camp program will offer ad literacy program for children and youth ages 3 - 18 visiting from external summer camps. The library will host an official exhibit and offer literacy resources including books, poetry, storytelling, songs, and hands-on STEAM and arts components. | $20,000 |
| Hartford Stage | Hartford Stage Summer Studio's multi-week campership program engages young artists ages 3 - 18 in a variety of themed age-appropriate, theatre-based activities. Campers will engage in activities ranging from storytelling and puppetry to musical production and performance. | $20,000 |
| Hartford's Proud Drill, Drum & Dance Corp | Hartford's Proud Drill, Drum & Dance Corp's Play by the Rules free summer programming is for the organization's yearly members and recent recruitments ages 3 - 18. | $10,000 |
| Horizons at The Ethel Walker School | The Literacy Leaders program is a free, six-week literacy campership program for Hartford girls ages 3 - 14 to improve their educational outcomes and close learning gaps through academic and athletic instruction, cultural enrichment opportunities, mentoring, and educational guidance. | $35,000 |
| Horizons at Westminster School | Horizons at Westminster is a free, six-week academic program for Hartford youth ages 6 - 14 to improve their educational outcomes and close learning gaps through academic and athletic instruction, cultural enrichment opportunities, mentoring, and education guidance. Its curriculum focuses on literacy and STEAM education as wel as social emotional learning. | $35,000 |
| Horizons, Inc. | Horizons offers a two-week traditional summer camp program for children and adults ages 6 and up with intellectual and developmental disabilities. | $35,000 |
| Lawson Chapel/Urban Hope Refuge Church | Heroes of Hope Future Leaders Summer Camp (HHFL) is a comprehensive four-week program crafted to captivate students through a blend of academic, entertainment, and enriching activities. Specifically designed for children 4-10 years of age, the camp extends its reach to teenagers three evenings a week. The evening camp is intended to assist teens in making risky behavior choices over the summer, particularly during evening hours. | $18,000 |
| McEIVR, Inc. | Makerspace's Summer STEAM and CIT programming is a free, multi-week summer session for youth ages 11 - 18. | $25,000 |
| Organized Parents Make A Difference, Inc. | OPMAD Unplugged campership and CIT program will provide enrichment and academic remediation for children and youth from kindergarten through eighth grade, ages 6 - 14, at five Hartford Public school sites. The program will offer literacy, math, science, art, sports, life skills, and cultural enrichment activities as core components. | $50,000 |
| Real Art Ways, Inc. | Park Art campership is a free, multi-week summer program for children and youth ages 3 - 18 to engage in comprehensive art workshops that align with Core Art Standards. Park Art primarily serves the neighborhoods of Frog Hollow and Parkville. | $12,000 |
| Sankofa Kuumba Cultural Arts Consortium | Sankofa Kuumba Cultural Arts Consortium's program is designed to use various Black Art Forms and agriculture to connect young people to what we believe should be an indistinguishable relationship between what they eat and the art they create. | $15,000 |
| The Salvation Army | The Salvation Army's summer programming include a one-week academic program as well as a one-week overnight youth camp for youth ages 6 - 14. The academic program prioritizes literacy and offers additional enrichment activities. The youth overnight camp introduces youth to a rural setting, and offers traditional camp activities including arts and crafts, aquatics, and organized sports. | $35,894 |
| Trinity College | Dream Camp at Trinity College provides a five-week CIT program for 15 - 17 year-olds to participate as counselors in its summer camp for children. CITs are offered learning opportunities designed to promote, nurture, and encourage their personal growth, develop leadership, and provide valuable first-time work opportunities and mentorship. | $16,389 |
| University of Connecticut Foundation, Inc. | HCOP proposes a program of activities implemented through a formal educational partnership, the Health Professions Partnership Initiative (HPPI), will develop strategies to increase the number of underrepresented, economically and educationally disadvantaged students in Hartford who are interested in careers in health and allied health professions. | $15,000 |
| Urise Ventures, Inc. | Future Founders is a one-of-a-kind summer campership that offers participants a unique opportunity to ÒInvent, Innovate, ImagineÓ all while learning 21st Century skills in the process. With a focus on essential 21st Century workplace skills of creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and opportunity recognition, the program opens doors for students to learn what it takes to succeed in business and in life. The paid camperships and CIT internships will run for 5 weeks and will be free to all participants. | $15,000 |
| Watkinson School | The SPHERE summer program is a free five-week enrichment program for Hartford students between first and fifth grade. Each student will take age-appropriate classes in math, literacy and technology, and they will spend the afternoons engaging in recreational activities. | $20,000 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Hartford, Inc. | The YMCA of Greater Hartford is requesting funding to support the Wilson Gray Day Camp and the Wilson Gray Day Camp CIT program (Hartford). These summer day camp programs offer opportunities for growth and development of the whole child. The YMCA focuses on the four core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility and develops programs like our day camps that allow children to reach their fullest potential in sprit, mind, and body. | $25,000 |
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns. Through partnerships, the Foundation seeks to strengthen communities in Greater Hartford by putting philanthropy in action to dismantle structural racism and achieve equity in social and economic mobility. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $1 billion since its founding in 1925. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.