Turning Guns Into Jewelry, CT Entrepreneur Helps Gun Buyback Program

Jessica Mindich is a Connecticut jewelry designer who has begun transforming recycled pistols, rifles and shotguns from Newark, N.J. – recovered in the city’s gun buyback program - into a line of fashionable bangle bracelets. The “Caliber Collection” began last fall with the melted down metal from 250 guns and bullet casings seized by the Newark Police Department. The result was a series of bracelets that embody the gun’s transformation from a destructive weapon to a powerful symbol of renewal. Jewelry for a Cause, Mindich’s business, donates 20 percent of the proceeds from each sale to the Gun Buyback Amnesty program in Newark, and recently presented a check for $20,000 to the city.

Each of the guns was processed and then released to Jewelry for a Cause by the Police Department of Newark.  Their serial numbers were tracked and are an important part of the design in each of the pieces of jewelry.  The metal from the guns and bullet casings are shredded by Sims Metal Management in Jersey City, according to The New York Times.

The name Caliber was chosen for its two meanings; the caliber of a gun and how the caliber of a city is raised when illegal guns are taken off its streets, the company's website explained.  As a reminder of their source, the Caliber cuffs and bangles are marked on the inside with the serial number from a recovered weapon and "Newark." Prices range from $150 from a basic steel cuff to $375 for brass bangle with a diamond, the Greenwich Time has reported.

A former lawyer who lives in Greenwich with her husband and two young sons, Mindich started the company in 2008. It donates 20 percent of all sales - on items including necklaces and jewelry kits for charitable fundraisers - to nonprofit organizations, local and national.

The newest initiative began, the Times reported, when Mindich ran into Newark Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, who attended Yale Law School with her husband, at a conference. They spoke about Newark’s no-questions-asked gun buyback program, which was founded in 2009 and gave up to $200 dollars for each weapon that was turned in.  The program needed an infusion of money – and the jewelry line was born, with the support of Booker and the city’s police chief.

Mindich is reportedly considering expanding the jewelry line to include other U.S. cities - no word of cities in her home state are among them.  Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford are among the Connecticut communities that regularly conduct gun buyback programs.

New Haven’s gun buyback program brought in 65 weapons and 63 weapons, including a Bushmaster .223 semiautomatic rifle similar to the one used in the Newtown shooting, on successive Saturdays last December, the New Haven Register and WTNH-TV reported. A gun buyback program that began in December in Bridgeport, Connecticut's largest city, has brought in more than 500 weapons to date, according to an Associated Press report.

Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Angel Ride Launch Anniversary Years

Registration has opened for this year’s Angel Ride, an all-volunteer effort that organizes annual athletic endurance events as fundraising initiatives with 100 percent of the money raised going directly to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp's Hospital Outreach Program.  This year’s events, marking the 10^th anniversary of Angel Ride amidst the 25^th anniversary year of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, will be held May 25-26. Angel Ride, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has supported The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp's Hospital Outreach Program since 2007. Hospital Outreach® brings the hopeful, playful spirit of The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp – founded in 1988 by the late actor and philanthropist Paul Newman - to children and families in the hospital setting. By offering unique, creative and developmentally appropriate activities and interactions, the program helps to restore joy and laughter in a time often laden with fear, stress and uncertainty. Consistent with other Camp programs, it is available to hospitals and families at no cost.

This past year, 18,000 hospitalized children received a visit from "Camp".  They work collaboratively with hospital staff to enhance, augment or support existing programs focused on improving the quality of life during treatment. The Hospital Outreach Program brings the joy and fun of Camp’s summer programming to seriously ill children year-round. Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center are among the hospitals in the Northeast that are participating in the program.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp recently released an inspiring song and music video to kick off its 25th anniversary as a hideout where seriously ill kids can simply be kids.  Natalie Merchant, one of America's most respected recording artists, created a new sing-a-long version of her iconic song "Wonder" and recorded it at the Camp in Ashford, Conn. this past summer with the campers. In the music video, Merchant leads the kids in song interspersed with clips of the late Paul Newman and the campers sharing what the Camp means to them.

Another newly released video highlights the connection between campers Hannah and Janis, who have formed a special bond during the past two years at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.  That bond has allowed them to face the challenges of mitochondrial disease together and experience “a different kind of healing.” The unforgettable story of their friendship brings the unique spirit of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to life in the first online “Healing Feeling” profile, which is part of a series being released during the Camp’s 25th anniversary.

"Wonder" was written by Natalie Merchant for her first solo album "Tigerlily."  The song, released as a single in 1996, reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Its lyrics contain the refrain, "They say I must be one of the wonders" and were inspired by Merchant’s own experience meeting twin sisters coping with a congenital disease. Merchant was struck by how positive the girls were as they faced significant challenges, thanks to an inner strength that she attributed to the love and support of their family and friends.

"For years, I've been told by parents of kids with special needs and medical staff and children themselves that 'Wonder' has become an anthem for sick kids. So I know the healing power of the song. I am delighted to add my voice to all the love, camaraderie and sharing that goes on at Camp.  Paul really did it so well. The Camp is a magical place."

Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Angel Ride Launch Anniversary Years

Registration has opened for this year’s Angel Ride, an all-volunteer effort that organizes annual athletic endurance events  as fundraising initiatives with 100 percent of the money raised going directly to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp's Hospital Outreach Program.  This year’s events - marking the 10th anniversary of Angel Ride, amidst the 25th anniversary year of the remarkable Camp - will be held May 25-26. Angel Charitable Trust, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization,  has supported The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp's Hospital Outreach Program since 2007.  Hospital Outreach® brings the hopeful, playful spirit of The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp – founded in 1988 by the late actor and philanthropist Paul Newman - to children and families in the hospital setting.  By offering unique, creative and developmentally appropriate activities and interactions, the program helps to restore joy and laughter in a time often laden with fear, stress and uncertainty. The Hospital Outreach Program brings the joy and fun of Camp’s summer programming to seriously ill children year-round.

This past year, 18,000 hospitalized children received a visit from "Camp". Consistent with other Camp programs, it is available to hospitals and families at no cost.  They work collaboratively with hospital staff to enhance, augment or support existing programs focused on improving the quality of life during treatment. Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center are among the hospitals in the Northeast that are participating in the program.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp recently released an inspiring song and music video to kick off its 25th anniversary as a hideout where seriously ill kids can simply be kids.  Natalie Merchant, one of America's most respected recording artists, created a new sing-a-long version of her iconic song "Wonder" and recorded it at the Camp in Ashford, Conn. this past summer with the campers. In the music video, Merchant leads the kids in song interspersed with clips of the late Paul Newman and the campers sharing what the Camp means to them.

Another newly released video highlights the connection between campers Hannah and Janis, who have formed a special bond during the past two years at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.  That bond has allowed them to face the challenges of mitochondrial disease together and experience “a different kind of healing.” The unforgettable story of their friendship brings the unique spirit of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to life in the first online “Healing Feeling” profile, which is part of a series being released during the Camp’s 25th anniversary.

"Wonder" was written by Natalie Merchant for her first solo album "Tigerlily."  The song, released as a single in 1996, reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Its lyrics contain the refrain, "They say I must be one of the wonders" and were inspired by Merchant’s own experience meeting twin sisters coping with a congenital disease. Merchant was struck by how positive the girls were as they faced significant challenges, thanks to an inner strength that she attributed to the love and support of their family and friends.

"For years, I've been told by parents of kids with special needs and medical staff and children themselves that 'Wonder' has become an anthem for sick kids. So I know the healing power of the song. I am delighted to add my voice to all the love, camaraderie and sharing that goes on at Camp.  Paul really did it so well. The Camp is a magical place."

The Camp was recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning.

Charter Oak Cultural Center Sees Opportunity in Dollar-for-Dollar Match

For those familiar with the remarkable work of the Charter Oak Cultural Center, time is running out on a unique opportunity to support the dynamic organization’s exceptional community initiatives.  An anonymous donor has agreed to match contributions made to support the work of Charter Oak, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000 - through the end of this month. That means every contribution made by January 31 will be doubled.  For an organization that is brimming with distinctive and impactful programming ideas but often scrambling for sufficient resources, it is a chance to see more dreams become reality.

Charter Oak Cultural Center, a magnificent and historic landmark and vibrant arts center on Charter Oak Avenue just off Main Street in Hartford, contributes to the revitalization of the city by bringing the community together through open and equal access to the arts, through a deep commitment to social justice. The three main goals that characterize the organization’s mission are:

• To provide wide access to the arts for all who wish to engage in them, regardless of income
• To do the work of social justice through the arts
• To celebrate the heritage of our historic building and to preserve it in perpetuity.

To realize that mission, Charter Oak provides over 1,000 underserved Hartford children with free, sophisticated arts classes and regularly makes professional performances – dance, theatre, concerts – and film and visual arts exhibits accessible to all.  In addition, Charter Oak recently started Connecticut’s first “street paper,” a newspaper written by people who are or were homeless. They’ve also introduced other educational and employment opportunities for those without homes. Their Youth Art Institute has been selected as a finalist by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, distinguishing it as one of the top arts and humanities-based youth programs in the country.

Charter Oak is seeking public support to allow them to take full advantage of what they’ve described as an “incredible offer” and “huge opportunity.”  Interested individuals can make a secure gift online, or mail a check to Charter Oak Cultural Center, 21 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106.

There is more information about Charter Oak’s programming, which falls into four main categories, on the organization’s website.  The programs areas include:

• Youth Arts Institute:   Reaches nearly 1,000 of Hartford’s inner-city children, ages 6 through 18, with arts and literacy-based classes held after-school, during-school, and in the summer, as well as evening programs for families.  The classes, along with nutritious meals and snacks, are provided free of charge. The youth programming successfully integrates the arts with academic subjects and assessments show that on average, participating students show a 54% improvement over the course of the semester in their ability to meet the state’s Arts K-12 Goals and Standards.
• Professional Programming: Charter Oak hosts cutting-edge, thought-provoking visual and performing arts exhibitions and performances. As a matter of policy, they offer as many performances and events as possible for free, keep prices low and never turn anyone away who cannot afford the price of a ticket.  In the course of a year, they present over 100 professional events that include every variety of performing art—dance, film, theatre, concerts and more.  In two on-site galleries, both emerging and established artists from various cultural backgrounds exhibit their work.
• Social Justice Programming: Charter Oak offers a number of programs that focus on social justice and equality- raising awareness about important issues and/or serving individuals in need- all through the lens of the arts.  For example, Charter Oak Cultural Center developed and launched Connecticut’s first “street paper,” entitled Beat of the Street, designed and sold by individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Historic Preservation: When it was built in 1876, the temple on Charter Oak Avenue became the first building in Connecticut’s history to be constructed specifically as a synagogue.  Today, as the home of the Charter Oak Cultural Center, it is a vibrant hub for the community that provides programming for thousands of Hartford and Greater Hartford students, families and individuals each year.  The historic landmark is maintained and preserved as a vibrant resource for the community.

Learn more at www.charteroakcenter.org or 860.249.1207.

Foundation Seeks Loaned Funds to Launch Early Childhood Music in Hartford

A full page advertisement in The Hartford Courant recently sought individuals interested in “parking idle funds for education.”  The open request, designed to attract funds that would enable the organization to create a free early childhood music program in Hartford, came from the POTE Foundation, Inc., a Connecticut based organization committed to providing educational support and resources to youth. POTE, which is an acronym for providing opportunity though education, promotes the vision that success is achieved when opportunity meets preparation.  The organization, founded in 2007:

• provides financial and support services to all levels of the educational process—early childhood through higher education;
• strives to develop unique programs to encourage educational excellence for youth who encounter the lack of opportunity, either because of economic or intellectual barriers; and,
• engages the intellectual and financial resources of baby boomers along with corporate and foundation outreach.

The ad points out that POTE “has successfully provided cost free violin instruction to K and pre-K students in Connecticut,” noting that “early involvement in music enhances reading achievement and fosters and appreciation of music in the development of the child.”

It asks that interested individuals “grant an interest free term loan to provide investment income to fully fund enrollment” in the program, to be used to develop a learning facility in Hartford and provide investment income to fully fund enrollment.  “Loan principal will not be expended for either construction or operating costs,” the organization points out. And POTE emphasizes that “all funds collected from fundraising activities go to program services – there are no administrative costs for POTE activities,” according to POTE President Christopher Wolf.

In accordance with its mission statement, during the past five years, the Glastonbury-based POTE has:

•  Enrolled 90+ pre-k and kindergarten children in Suzuki cost free violin program over five years in Windsor Locks

• Provided major funding for 565 youth (ages 4 to 18) for inner city youth in the Waterbury Police Athletic League’s Safe Water Information Movement (SWIM) program
• Funded after school program for middle school youth for science, math and technology in Waterbury
• Used fees collected from consulting services, to fund $3,000 for water appreciation and nature walk for Waterbury’s West Side Middle School
• Provided $5,000 in grant funds to Hartford Conservatory for musical instrument acquisition, maintenance and repair

POTE provided $34,000 in funding for various youth educational programs during 2012.

POTE anticipates that if they are able to move forward with the new Hartford early childhood music education program, “local jobs would be created during the development phases” and the ongoing program would “employ local musicians.”  In the event that the program does not go forward, all proceeds would be refunded.

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.