The goal is reduce the number of young people considered disconnected.
The young people of Hartford recently got a boost to the tune of $1.2 million to support education and employment programming through Hartford Opportunity Youth Collaborative.
The funding comes from several sources, including the city of Hartford, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the United Way of Central and Northeastern CT, and the Aspen Institute. The Nutmeg Foundation has also been a significant funding partner supporting the Hartford Career Navigation System coordination.
The goal of the program is to reduce the number of disconnected Harford youth by half in the next five years. The recent funding includes support for the first paid director of the collaborative.
According to a 2023 Dalio Education report, more than half – 53 percent – of Hartford students are at-risk of exiting high school without graduating, a spokesman said.
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The HOYC is chaired by Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam and made up of leaders in education, youth development, and workforce development.
The long-term objective is decreasing the number of disconnected young people by over 50 percent over the next five years.
The city of Hartford has allocated $751,000.
“This is an incredible moment for Hartford, one that reaffirms our unwavering commitment to every young person in our city,” said Arulampalam.
“This investment from the city and our foundational partners is more than just funding—it’s a decisive commitment to solving Connecticut’s opportunity youth crisis right here in our capital city. Together, we are working to ensure that every young person in Hartford has the chance to thrive and lead.”
The Hartford Foundation is providing a $300,000 grant to support a new HOYC director staff position for a two-year period.
“Through a series of inclusive conversations with stakeholders across sectors—nonprofits, city agencies, philanthropy, and community voices—a new framework emerged,” said Hartford Foundation Senior Community Impact Officer Joel Hicks-Rivera.
“This reimagined structure is designed to be more responsive, coordinated, and centered on the needs and aspirations of Hartford’s youth. Backed by the mayor and a coalition of committed partners, this initiative reflects a shared vision: that every young person in Hartford should have access to a youth workforce system that is built for them—one that is equitable, empowering, and aligned with their potential.”
The United Way of Central and Northeastern CT is providing approximately $100,000 in flexible funding to support HOYC operations.
“United Way is proud to invest in the Hartford Opportunity Youth Collaborative to further advance our shared goal of reducing the number of at-risk and disconnected young people in Hartford by half over the next five years,” said Eric Harrison, president and CEO, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, in a statement.
“Our mission is to mobilize our community to end poverty, and this is a great example of what it looks like when partners across sectors come together to create a measurable impact for young adults.”
The Aspen Institute committed $90,000 to support HOYC’s inclusion in the Everyone Counts Initiative (data sharing infrastructure) and the Belonging Meaning Wellbeing and Purpose initiative, which will include youth leadership supports and professional development resources for HOYC members and their staff, according to the statement. HOYC has also been a member of the Aspen Opportunity Youth Forum for the past decade.
