Latino Community’s “Champions of Change” Have Leading Roles in 2013

Looking to 2013 as a year when “we can all increase our efforts to work together to affect change in so many arenas,” the website ctlatinonews.com has named five “Champions of Change” in the Latino community. The individuals “have accomplished change through various means, some through their professional work, others by generously volunteering their time, working for change through policy implementation or by using the legal system,” according to the website.  They were selected by the new site’s editorial team and represent many sectors that include: health, business, politics, media, art and law. In addition, ctlatinonews.com also selected Five Young Latinos already making a difference, Five Non-profit Organizations, Five Latinos in Media & Arts and the Most Visible Latino.

Connecticut’s top five Latino “Champions of Change” as selected by ctlatinonews.com are John Soto, Frances Padilla, Yvette Meléndez, Andres Ayala, and Beatriz Gutierrez.

Frances Padilla: Through her life-long personal commitment and volunteer work, and as well as being one of the state’s leading health reform advocates, Frances G. Padilla is impacting quality of life for all Connecticut residents. As president of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, Frances has provided strategic direction and visionary leadership.  She is initiating new partnerships, increasing outreach and deepening civic engagement on one of the most important public policy issues of our time.  A graduate of Wesleyan University and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Frances has also given much of her personal time over the years to benefit the state’s Latino community.

Yvette Meléndez: Yvette Meléndez had held several executive positions in key organizations where she has been able to affect policy change. She is currently the vice president, Government and Community Alliances, for Hartford Hospital. Prior to this post she served as chief of staff for the Connecticut State University System, deputy commissioner at the Department of Public Health and Addiction Services, and at the State Department of Education where she launched Connecticut’s entry into the charter school movement.She also serves as vice chair of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, and as vice chair of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Andres Ayala, Jr.: Born in Bridgeport, newly elected state Senator Andres Ayala Jr. is a champion of change in the political arena as well as through his role as a community leader, where he has spent his career building opportunities and opening doors for others. He was elected in November 2012 to represent the 23rd Senatorial District, the first Democrat Latino Senator in Connecticut history.   He previously served three terms as state representative for the 128^th district. Ayala’s political life began on the Bridgeport City Council, where he rose to City Council president – the first Latino ever to do so.   He worked to develop  Bridgeport’s school building plan, which created five new schools.   He is an educator in the Bridgeport school system, and has worked as a teacher, dean of students and advisor to the Aspira Youth Development Program.

Beatriz Gutierrez:  Beatriz Gutierrez is helping to change the future of Connecticut by making it more of a global player in the marketplace in her role as head of the Department of Economic and Community Development’s international business development efforts. She brings a unique perspective as a Latina with a strong business background and knowledge of the world.  Born in the United States to Colombian parents, and raised in Colombia, Gutierrez returned to the U.S. to study electrical engineering at Marquette University in Milwaukee,  graduating in 1990. Gutierrez’ office at DECD is currently developing a strategic plan for Connecticut to compete in international markets.

John Soto:  The owner of Space-Craft Manufacturing in New Haven, John Soto has used his business acumen and wealth for social and economic change through philanthropy. Born in Puerto Rico, he started his company 42 years ago with four employees and today Space-Craft Manufacturing is now recognized as an industry leader, Soto has personally donated hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years and devoted countless hours of his time to Latino related organizations, especially those whose mission is helping Connecticut’s youth.

Travelers Championship Selected for Three PGA TOUR Awards

If you thought the Travelers Championship did a superb job during last year’s tournament in accommodating fans, involving players and utilizing its name sponsor, you’d be right on all counts.  The PGA TOUR has honored the Travelers Championship with three of its "Best of" Awards for "Most Fan Friendly Event,"  "Best Use of Players" and "Best Title Sponsor Integration" for the 2012 tournament, held at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. "On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to acknowledge and congratulate the outstanding job and special recognition the Travelers Championship has received for its efforts," said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR executive vice-president and chief of operations. "The tournament should be extremely proud for being recognized as the best among their peers on the TOUR." The awards were presented this month, after a selection process by PGA TOUR officials and tournament directors from around the country.

In the area of "Most Fan Friendly Event," the Travelers Championship has continually improved its SUBWAY® Fan Zone for fans of all ages, which includes a kid's area, concert stage, Travelers Chipping Challenge and a host of other activities. In addition:

• The tournament builds fan awareness through the BlumShapiro 5K race, held two weeks prior to the tournament.
• During tournament week, fan enhancements include Military Appreciation presented by Saint Francis Care, Farmington Bank Fan and Family Day, Golf Digest Junior Pro-Am, Women's Day presented by Travelers, Powerstation Events Concert Series, Travelers Championship Challenge online game, the Travelers "Call the Shots" Twitter contest, as well as daily giveaways to fans through the tournament's social media channels.
• The Travelers Championship also offers a number of affordable ticket packages and promotions in conjunction with area charities, on-site parking for the majority of fans, an ambassador program, free water and sunscreen, lockers for fans, Travelers-branded tote bags, welcome station and a prize patrol.

For "Best Use of Players," the Travelers Championship created eight events with 14 players that involved charity, fans, sponsors and volunteers.

• The tournament hosted defending champion Fredrik Jacobson for a media day where he participated in a networking breakfast with 150 area business leaders and a Q&A with ESPN's Chris Berman.
• On Monday during tournament week, the Travelers Championship brought Masters Champion Bubba Watson to Citi Field in New York City to throw the first pitch and help promote tournament week to fans in the New York market.
• To build relationships with the future stars of the PGA TOUR, the tournament also gave sponsor's exemptions to young, up-and-coming players like Ryo Ishikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Kelly Kraft, Bryden Macpherson and Patrick Rodgers. The previous week's U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson kept his commitment to the Travelers Championship, due in part to the fact that he received a sponsor exemption in 2008.

For the "Best Title Sponsor Integration" award, there were a number of activities throughout the year.

• With Japan's Ryo Ishikawa competing at the Travelers Championship, the title sponsor provided cultural training for employee volunteers and tournament staff, offered Asian-inspired cuisine for the media in attendance and printed tournament staff business cards in English and Japanese.
• The title sponsor and tournament worked on an integrated marketing plan with Travelers tagging national ads with broadcast tune-in information and supplementing tournament buys with additional media spends in outlying markets.
• Travelers also held a Travelers Championship Employee Day prior to the tournament in dozens of field offices across the U.S. and internationally, which included a number of golf-related activities. Travelers Championship Employee Day generated 90,000 views on the company's internal website, raised $34,000 for Birdies for Charity, generated $17,000 in ticket sales and recruited a company-record 1,252 employee volunteers.

"We are so fortunate to have Travelers as our title sponsor since 2007. Their commitment to making the tournament better each year has made the difference in the popularity of our event," said Nathan Grube, Travelers Championship tournament director. "We are thrilled to receive recognition in these categories, because it represents how much this tournament means to our title sponsor and the community that supports the Travelers Championship every year."

The 2013 Travelers Championship will be held June 17-23.

Nonprofit Organizations Help Boost Voter Numbers, Study Finds

If one concurs with the adage that all politics is local, it should come as no surprise that the dust has barely settled on the state and national elections of 2012 as the focus shifts to the municipal–level elections of 2013. A Massachusetts-based organization devoted to increasing the role of nonprofit organizations in spurring voter interest and participation is already publicizing its “Voter Participation Starter Kit for Nonprofits and Social Service Agencies,” available for web download, coming off what it describes as the success of 2012.

The benchmark National Election Exit Poll showed that the lower income, younger, and diverse populations typically served by nonprofits accounted for a greater share of voter turnout than ever before. While some of this can be attributed to population increases, it was also aided by unprecedented voter education and engagement efforts from the nonprofit and civic sector, according to the organization reported.

“Nonprofits are among the nation’s most trusted messengers. An annual Harris poll consistently ranks nonprofits among the few sectors (small businesses are another) that respondents would like to have more rather than less influ­ence in government.”  That observation published in The Nonprofit Quarterly, from George Pillsbury, MPA, founder and executive direc­tor of Nonprofit VOTE, underscores the organization’s initiative.

He adds:  “Nonprofits of the 501(c)(3) variety are pre­sumed to have a limited capacity for promoting political participation because laws prohibit them from engaging in partisan politics to support or oppose a candidate for public office. Yet nonprof­its’ inherent civic engagement assets make them a potent force for political and electoral engage­ment, further strengthened by their nonpartisan approach.”

Organizations including the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits — a long-time partner of Nonprofit VOTE — have led this transition in recent years by bringing voter engagement into the sector mainstream. According to the organization’s newsletter, for the 2012 election they pointed a spotlight on the sector by sending educational materials on the needs of nonprofits to all state candidates.

“Elected officials pay attention to which communities and which populations turn out and are generally more responsive to organizations involved in registering voters and encouraging turnout,” emphasized Sophie Lehman, Communications Director for Nonprofit VOTE.

The National Election Exit Poll is the most relied on exit poll conducted by Edison Research on behalf of ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and NBC News.

Virtual Technology Drives New Collaboration to Respond to Achievement Gap Challenges

A persistent academic achievement gap, determination to advance an effective response and the emergence of a cutting-edge technology are driving a new collaboration that is aiming to improve education opportunities for students in underserved communities and strengthen connections among students, teachers, parents, and the community. The first steps of the initiative – which brings a leadership donation by the Travelers Foundation together with the just-formed Connecticut Technology and Education Collaborative (CTEC) and the Hartford Public Library – will lay the groundwork for the introduction of “desktop virtualization” technology to support education for Hartford students.

The Travelers Foundation is providing no-longer-needed computers and financial support to CTEC, which includes The Walker Group, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), GreenShare Technology and SpaceFitters. The CTEC initiative marks the first time that such an effort has been undertaken in Connecticut - designed specifically to bring an evolving cutting-edge technology to K-12 students in the state.  A pilot project launched by CTEC began earlier this year in Windham schools.

The donation by the Travelers Foundation will support repurposing and installing the computers at a number of Hartford Public Library locations. In turn, they will be designated for student use and connected to the Hartford Public School network. This will give HPS students after school access to the applications and files they’ve used during the school day from reconfigured PC’s that operate better than new ones.  Access to their classwork offers the students the means to spend additional time reviewing material, working on assignments, and reinforcing lessons.

The technology enabling these donated computers to perform so well is known as desktop virtualization, which shifts the more intensive processing from the computer itself to a specialized server running in a secure data center in East Hartford, part of a previously established and underutilized state network that was developed to advance educational purposes.

The desktop virtualization technology enables students and faculty to access their school network from anywhere, anytime, using any type of device. It is a transformational technology in education, giving students a new way to access technology and opening up extended learning options for disadvantaged schools and communities.

“Virtual desktops hold tremendous potential for enabling under-served students to gain access to school technology," commented Tony Budrecki, Virtualization Services Director at The Walker Group in Farmington. “Our repurposing of legacy machines donated by Travelers into high performance systems wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago. It’s a great example of creative philanthropy helping to solve a big societal problem.”

The Connecticut Technology and Education Collaborative is made up of Connecticut-based for-profit and non-profit organizations. The group’s goal is to help level the playing field for access to high-quality, affordable technology in school and from home, through creative public-private collaboration.  The initiative also offers the potential of cost-saving benefits to local schools, as computer network capacity is used more efficiently.

Economic Impact of Arts & Culture in Hartford Region Gains Notice

When the MetroHartford Alliance and the Greater Hartford Arts Council brought business and arts leaders together at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts this week, it was the numbers that carried the day, touting the business benefits of the arts and culture industry.  The national study focused on regions across the country using data developed by Americans for the Arts.  In the Greater Hartford region, 123 local arts institutions participated, with more than 800 audience surveys. The top ten stand-out facts about the annual economic impact of arts and culture in the Greater Hartford area, which was defined as Hartford County and Tolland County:

1. Total Arts and Culture Industry expenditures in the Greater Hartford area:  $230.4 million
2. Full time equivalent jobs supported: 6,879
3. Revenue generated to local government: $5,184,000
4. Revenue generated to state government:  $16,244,000
5. Spending by Arts & Heritage Organizations;  $148,242,871
6. Event-Related Spending(total)excluding the cost of admission:  $82,005,472
7. Average Spending per person: $20.35 ($17.50 from residents of the region; $30.02 from those who reside outside the region)
8. Total Attendance:  4,028,850  (3,110,272 from within the region; 918.578 from outside the region)
9. Estimated aggregate value of volunteer hours:  $7,506,865 (7,258 volunteers donated a total of 351,445 hours to nonprofit arts and culture organizations).
10. Greater Hartford’s arts and cultural community ranks in the top 10% of metro areas across North America.

The findings also noted that of those surveyed:

• 48% of those attending a cultural event, and who live in the Greater Hartford area, would have traveled to a different community in order to attend a similar cultural experience.
• 60% of those who live outside the immediate region said the same.

The report concluded, therefore, that if the money wasn’t being spent in Hartford, it would be spent elsewhere.  The report’s overall  bottom line:  arts and culture is “an industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue, and is a cornerstone of tourism.”

The national study included 182 regions include 139 individual cities and counties, 31 multi-city regions, 10 states, and two arts districts and represent all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Greater Hartford was one of the cities that participated in the survey, which was conducted using 2010 data.

The study results were announced at the MetroHartford Alliance's November Rising Star Breakfast, which  featured Randy I. Cohen, Vice President of Research and Policy for Americans for the Arts, and a local panel that included Catherine Smith, commission of the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development; Thomas E. Deller, director of Hartford’s development services and Michael Stotts, managing director of Hartford Stage. The event was sponsored by The Phoenix Companies, Inc. and included remarks from Cathy Malloy, executive director of the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

Quest Program Participants Target Issues From Sex Trafficking to Job Skills

Leadership Greater Hartford’s highly regarded Quest program develops and engages emerging and established leaders in the region through opportunities to sharpen skills, build new professional relationships and – most importantly - address pressing community issues.  The 2012 class of Quest – 47 participants strong – were grouped into four teams, each pursuing distinct and important projects during the course of the year.  Their work is already in evidence in the community, and received high praise at a recent “graduation” ceremony held at the Mark Twain House in Hartford.  The initiatives:

• The HartBeat Ensemble taskforce focused on what members described as the “appalling, abhorrent and terrifying nature of human sex trafficking” in the Hartford region, coordinating with the Hartford Police Department. They worked with HartBeat Ensemble, an ensemble company that creates original, professional theater based on stories from the community. To help increase public awareness of the issue, the taskforce developed a marketing, collaboration and public relations plan for their newest play in development, Project: Turnpike, which is based on the 2007 landmark federal trial of United States vs. Dennis Paris that took place in Hartford. The play represents 72 hours in the life of four exploited sex workers in a motel room on the Berlin Turnpike.  The play’s opening night is scheduled for April 24, 2013.

Law enforcement officials have observed that Hartford’s location  - near mass transit and between New York and Boston – contributes to the human trafficking industry’s presence here.  Recently, human trafficking – estimated to be a $32 billion-a-year business worldwide – has been the subject of a national crackdown by the travel industry, which has launched an initiative to train employees to identify and report potential trafficking incidents.    The U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation along with Amtrak also announced plans to training 75,000 employees.

• The North End Career Resources taskforce focused on the importance of providing career resources to the North End community of Hartford.  They developed and conducted a “Job Skills Resources Fair” at the Albany Avenue Branch of the Hartford Public Library on September 25, 2012.  It was a job skills fair, not a job fair – with the goal of connecting fair attendees with the skills necessary to make them employable in a tough hiring environment.  The “vendors” were non-profit agencies that work in the areas of job skills training.
• The Billings Forge Community Works taskforce worked with Billings Forge Community Works, an innovative job education and training, housing, and community development organization that serves the residents of Hartford's Frog Hollow neighborhood. This taskforce accomplished three main goals: enhanced their corporate sponsorship program, implemented their auction event for the annual “Farm to Table” event/fundraiser and created an organizational membership program.
• The Hartford Children’s Theatre taskforce partnered with Hartford Children’s Theatre, which provides theatrical training and entertainment for Connecticut children and families. The taskforce focused on the summer theatrical production of Hartford Children’s Theatre and worked specifically in the areas of development, marketing and general public relations efforts.  In doing so, they not only raised sufficient funds to offset the costs of the production, they also provided input and novel suggestions for future marketing and fundraising operations.

Participating in Quest 2012 were:

Kelsey Aderman - Lincoln Financial Group Debbie Albrecht- Murtha Cullina, LLP. Deb Battit - Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Yvette Bello - Latino Community Services Theresa Benoit - ConnectiCare, Inc. Joe Bierbaum - Stone Academy Maureen Bowman - Travelers Monique (Roxanne) Brown - Phoenix Life Suzanne Butler - OptumHealth Katie Carges - Hartford Hospital Vrinda Dabke - OptumHealth Theresa Desilets - Cigna Steve  Dibella - Hartford Police Department Alisa Dzananovic - Saint Francis Hospital Martin Estey - Hartford Consortium for Higher Education Tom Farrish  - Day Pitney, LLP Fred Faulkner - The Open Hearth Julie Geyer - Capital Workforce Partners LaResse Harvey - Civic Trust Lobbying Company John Henry Decker - Certified Financial Planner Kelly Hewes - The Hartford Carolyn Hoffman - Junior League of Hartford, Inc. Margo  Kelleher - VestA Corporation Lynne  Kelleher - CT Children's Medical Center Ryan Kocsondy - University of Connecticut John McEntee - Travelers Nicole  Miller   Goodwin College Kelly Muszynski - OptumHealth Tokuji Okamoto - Our Piece of the Pie Mario Oquendo, Jr. - Hartford Fire Department Janet Pasqua - ConnectiCare, Inc. Lisa Pawlik - Catholic Charities Sara Phillips - Travelers Jason Roberts - Travelers Josie Robles - Hartford Behavioral Health Kevin Roy - Shipman & Goodwin LLP Michael Ryan - Lincoln Financial Group Leslie Sanborn - Oak Hill Jerene  Slivinsky - UnitedHealthcare Quinten  Smallwood - Travelers Danielle Smiley - City of Hartford - HHS Jen Sprague - United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut Paul Stigliano - Hill-Stead Museum Amelinda Vazquez - Eastern Connecticut State University Sonia Worrell Asare, Esq. -  Travelers Andrea  Young - Goodwin College

New Website Promotes Action to Reduce Harm from Stormwater Runoff

There is a new green infrastructure website in Connecticut, www.ReduceRunoff.org, specifically designed to assist Connecticut homeowners in reducing the harmful effects of stormwater runoff.   It’s a collaborative initiative of Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research's (CLEAR) Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) program . When it rains, or when snow melts, impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent water from naturally soaking into the ground, creating stormwater runoff. Manmade gray infrastructure like curbs, gutters, and storm drains quickly carry stormwater runoff directly to local streams, rivers, and Long Island Sound—without any natural filtering process.

That runoff can overwhelm the sewer systems of older, combined sewer overflow communities like Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford—resulting in releases of raw sewage.  In other communities, it floods streets and carries fertilizers and pesticides into rivers and the Sound.  This pollution forces summer beach closings, and make it hard for shell fishermen to earn a living. According to state data, many rivers and shoreline waters fail to meet key water quality standards because of stormwater.

What’s a concerned citizen to do?  Turns out, there are a growing number of common sense solutions that can have an impact.  Innovative green infrastructure concepts like rain gardens, rain barrels, downspout disconnections, permeable pavers, and green roofs, can help naturally manage stormwater, limit raw sewage discharges, reduce flooding risk and improve water quality.

The new website includes a cost calculator to estimate the cost of developing a rain garden, and site features information on three Connecticut locatities using green infrastructure to benefit the community:

• In the Quinnipiac River Watershed, small rain gardens and large bioswales will be used to boost drinking water supplies.  And
• In New Haven and Bridgeport,green infrastructure will help reduce flooding, reduce non-point source pollution, and limit combined sewer overflows.

There is also information about efforts in major cities including Portland, Kansas City, Philadelphia and New York which are working to promote the use of green infrastructure.  ReduceRunoff.org shares the experiences of those cities and provides guidance to Connecticut residents seeking to green their neighborhoods and contribute to reducing pollution statewide.

ReduceRunoff.org was funded by the Fairfield County Community Foundation, the Greater New Haven Green Fund, and the Quinnipiac River Groundwater Natural Resources Damages Fund administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP).

"Great Give 2012" Aims to Boost New Haven Area Nonprofits

More than 200 organizations that feed the hungry, teach children, protect the environment, shelter animals, build community, promote healthy living, enrich our culture, support the aging in the Greater New Haven area are participating in The Great Give 2012.  Coordinated by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, it is a 36-period on October 16 and 17 when individuals interested in contributing to a range of charitable organizations can do so through a special website, and at the same time provide the organization they support with an opportunity to win additional contributions as part of the effort. Over the last two years, this event raised more than $800,000 for area non-profits. The organizers stress that “There are so many giving challenges competing for your attention in this great big world. What’s different about The Great Give 2012? Your donation stays right here, strengthening your local community.”  They emphasize that every dollar donated between 8:00 am October 16 and 8:00 pm October 17 will support a non-profit whose work impacts Greater New Haven and the Valley.

A special website has been set up, and individuals need only look up the non-profit that they wish to support, and “join others in making a secure gift online.” The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, with help from the Valley Community Foundation, is providing up to $170,000 in grant prizes to nonprofit organizations that receive the highest amount of contributions, with the Grand Prize organization receiving a grant of $20,000.

CT Girl Scouts Celebrate Centennial by Honoring Top 100

In honor of its 100th Anniversary, Girl Scouts of Connecticut honored 100 women, men, and organizations that embody the best of Girl Scout values at the 2012 Centennial Gala – Woman of Merit benefit dinner, held this month. The Centennial Gala had five categories of honorees:

• Distinguished Alumnae,
• Community Champion,
• Trail Blazers,
• Girls of Promise, and
• Women of Promise

Honorees included Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Cathy Malloy, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, State Treasurer Denise Nappier, State Representative Michelle Cook (D-65); Jen Rizzotti, women’s basketball coach at the University of Hartford; Carolyn Kuan, Music Director, Hartford Symphony Orchestra; Rear Admiral Sandra L. Stosz, Superintendent, U.S. Coast Guard Academy; and Chief Lynn Malerba of the Mohegan Tribe.  The full list of honorees is on the Girl Scouts of Connecticut website.

“We were delighted to honor these 100 extraordinary people and organizations ,” said Teresa C. Younger, President of Girl Scouts of Connecticut’s Board of Directors. “This has been a special year for Girl Scouts of Connecticut, celebrating its 100th Anniversary, and there’s no better time to celebrate the achievements of many throughout the state who are the role models for and help build girls of courage, confidence, and character.”

The categories of the honorees are:

Trailblazers are individuals, families, organizations or groups whose pioneering efforts opened the door for girls and/or women to follow. They may have been the ‘‘first’’ to reach a particular career or professional milestone, have participated in an organization or activity in a way that changed how women were involved, or challenged themselves in some way that created new opportunities for girls and women. If an organization or group, it may have demonstrated innovative solutions to working with girls to develop leadership skills or create unique opportunities for girls.

Community Champions are individuals, families, organizations or groups who have made significant contributions as volunteers within their own community, or on a regional or national level. They have distinguished themselves as mentors and role models. They have a proven track record of helping others succeed and have achieved personal success through the skills and abilities they have developed in the people around them. Their lives and work exemplify the value of community service intrinsic to Girl Scouts. If an organization or group, it has demonstrated through its mission, programs and support the importance of developing girls to reach their full potential and have proven success.

Distinguished Alumnae are individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment, exceptional service, and an extraordinary dedication to the Girl Scout Movement. They are alumnae whose leadership, initiative, and energy have strengthened Girl Scouting, made a significant contribution to the mission, and who exemplify the true spirit of Girl Scouts.

Women of Promise are alumnae, age 35 and under, who have distinguished themselves in their profession and/or community. They are women who demonstrate exceptional promise in terms of their ability to ascend and assume significant leadership roles.

Girls of Promise are current Girl Scouts ages 12-18 who distinguish themselves through their work in Girl Scouting and exemplify the values and principles of the Girl Scout Movement.

More Nonprofits = Less Unemployment, Study Finds; CT in 2nd Tier of States

Communities with better civic health have weathered the recent recession far better – and experienced considerably smaller increases in unemployment – than other communities that faced similar economic circumstances, according to a new report by the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC).  Counties across the nation that were rich in nonprofit organizations lost considerably fewer jobs than the low-nonprofit counties, the study revealed. A state-by-state analysis by the organization placed Connecticut in the second tier of states in both the density of nonprofit organizations, and social cohesion (interacting with friends and neighbors), the two measures used in the study.  Connecticut ranked between #11 and #20 in each category,  just outside the first tier, top-10 states.

For individuals who held jobs in 2008, the odds of becoming unemployed were cut in half if they lived in a community with many nonprofit organizations rather than one with a few nonprofits, even if the two communities were otherwise similar, the study found.  Among the New England states, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont placed in the top ten.

Overall, counties with more nonprofits per capita prior to the recession had lower unemployment in 2006. And while almost all of the counties lost jobs during the recession years, the counties with more nonprofits per capita lost fewer jobs between 2006 and 2009. Both patterns remain even when holding education, median income, housing prices, and other economic factors constant, according to the report.  Counties ranking in the top 10% in nonprofit density experienced an increase of only 2 percentage points in their unemployment rate between 2006 and 2009, compared with 5.1 percentage points for the counties in the bottom 10% in nonprofit density.

These results suggest – according to the report - that nonprofits may bring economic benefits by directly employing people and also by changing the economic climate of the whole community. Nonprofits support civic engagement and social cohesion; in turn, when citizens feel committed to their communities and connected to their fellow residents, they are more likely to make decisions that boost local employment.

The study used statistical models to investigate the relationship between civic health and unemployment in the 50 states, 942 metro areas, and more than 3,100 counties since 2006.  NCoC was chartered by Congress in 1953 to harness the patriotic energy and national civic involvement surrounding World War II. In 2009, Congress  expanded the organization's Civic Health Assessment to become the nation’s largest and most definitive measure of civic engagement.