NACDEP WEBINAR WEDNESDAY SESSION TO LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES IN LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The presentation for January is “Best Practices in Land Use and Economic Development – A Program for Municipal Accreditation.” It will be presented by Laura Brown, an Associate Professor, Community & Economic Development Educator with the University of Connecticut Department of Extension […]
community development
Urban Agriculture in Bridgeport
Extension works on urban agriculture projects in cities including Danbury, Stamford and Bridgeport. We are collaborating with food accessibility and food justice organizations in Bridgeport to build capacity growing fresh vegetables. Growing sites include schools, community centers and capped brown fields. Partners provide healthy food and train underserved, diverse audiences in farming. UConn Extension offered […]
Laura Brown Receives CEDAS Member of the Year Award
Last week, Extension educator Laura Brown received the Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) Member of the Year Award at the CEDAS Annual meeting. The award recognized her role in the CEDAS program committee including the successful CEDAS Academy webinar series’ and coordination the newly launched Best Practices in Land Use and Economic Development program. Laura […]
CEDAS Launches “Best Practices” Accreditation
CONNECTICUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION WELCOMES CONNECTICUT MUNICIPALITIES TO SHOWCASE ‘BEST PRACTICES’ – LAUNCHES ‘BEST PRACTICES IN LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT’ ACCREDITATION The Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) is announcing the launch of the ‘Best Practices in Land Use and Economic Development’ certification to recognize Connecticut municipalities for outstanding land use practices. In creating this […]
CT Trails Symposium
UConn Extension educators Laura Brown, Kristina Kelly, and Emily Wilson are presenting at the CT Trails Symposium on Thursday, October 19th. The CT Greenways Council, in partnership with Goodwin College, encourages you to engage in conversation about why and how to put your local trail systems to work for your community. Speakers and panels will use […]
Statewide Multi-Use Trail User Study
A statewide multi-use trail user study and volunteer data collection program By Laura Brown The Connecticut Trail Census is a statewide multi-use trail user study and volunteer data collection program on 15 multi-use trails. The goals are to understand when, who, how, and why people make use of Connecticut’s multi-use trails, educate leaders and general […]
Communities Invited to Apply for First Impressions
First Impressions Community Exchange Program “great reminder of what matters” As a new holiday season approaches, most of us know how hard it is to take time off from our commitments and busy schedules to do something new. But recent research by organizational psychologists and neurologists finds that having new experiences – new sounds, sights, […]
PEP Graduate Impacts Community
Daniella Pierre was recently recognized at the United States of Women summit in Washington DC, and is currently being nominated for an award from Legacy Magazine, all this because of her dedicated work in affordable housing for middle class families and empowering young women. She currently works as an academic advisor at Miami-Dade and is […]
Let’s Talk Trails
Originally Posted on October 23, 2015 By John McDonald, Extension Intern The Let’s Talk Trails event held in October at Torrington City Hall was arguably a gathering of the most important people involved in trail development, construction and maintenance in the state of Connecticut. Bruce Donald, Chairman of the Connecticut Greenways Council and President of […]
Brownfield Revitalization as a Community Development Catalyst
Originally Posted on October 30, 2015 By John McDonald, Extension Intern Brownfield redevelopment has become a hot topic of late. The issue can be examined through a number of different lens. A project in Middletown, Connecticut will focus on the health outcomes of brownfield conversion in inner-city neighborhoods. Middletown’s Department of Planning, Conservation and Development has […]
Reflections on Community Development
By Laura Brown, Community & Economic Development Educator, UConn Extension Anyone who’s been in this field will attest that community development takes grit. Sometimes the day-to-day work is monotonous, exhausting, and trying. We’re challenged by conflicting personalities, politics and bureaucracies and given the charge of changing the status quo when the tides seem turned against […]
Study Underway to Assess the Economic Impact of the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail
The Naugatuck River Greenway (NRG) Steering Committee has initiated a 2015-2016 study to catalog the economic and quality of life impacts that will result from the construction of the Naugatuck River Greenway trail, a planned multi-use trail along the Naugatuck River. The study is designed to assist each of the 11 greenway municipalities and local […]
More PEP Graduates
Congratulations to our most recent UConn Extension People Empowering People (PEP) graduates from Meriden! The People Empowering People Program is a personal and family development program with a strong community focus. Created by Cheryl Czuba, UConn Extension Educator, the PEP program builds upon individual life experiences and strengths to encourage growth in communication and problem solving skills, parent/family relationships and […]
Bloomfield PEP Graduates
Congratulations to our UConn Extension People Empowering People (PEP) Bloomfield graduates. The ceremony was on April 6th at the Laurel Elementary School.
Communication Skills with PEP
A UConn Extension People Empowering People (PEP) class in March 2015. Madre Latina Inc., a Community organization from Waterbury visited. We were happy to have them because their experiences and knowledge help us to continue the process of help others. At another class, students made a game out of active listening and communication through crafts. […]
PEP Facilitators Impact Communities
UConn Extension People Empowering People (PEP) facilitator Gloria Mora from Danbury Children First speaking at the Parent Trust Fund Rally 2015 at the Capitol in Hartford on Wednesday.
Congratulations PEP Graduates
Congratulations to our recent UConnExtension People Empowering People (PEP) graduates from Meriden and Putnam. A few graduates are pictured below, but many more were also recognized. 3 out of 5 graduates were able to make it to the graduation in Putnam, due to bad weather. Sherry Curran (far left) read a short description of each grad and what they brought […]
PEP Training
On Monday, December 8th UConn Extension’s People Empowering People (PEP) program hosted a training on changes to the program for 30 of our facilitators. — in Hartford, CT.
Welcome Laura Brown!
We want to take this opportunity to welcome Laura Brown to UConn Extension as our new Extension Educator for Community Development. Laura has wonderful experience here in Connecticut where she worked with the Hartford Food System as their Director of Education and Community Outreach and then as a statewide Community Development Specialist at University of […]
Recent PEP Graduates
UConn Extension’s People Empowering People (PEP) Program held a facilitator training led by Robin Drago in December. Participants came from Hartford, Danbury, New Haven, Coventry, New London and Mansfield and will offer UConn PEP for parents in those communities. UConn PEP is a personal and family development training with a strong community focus. Our most recent graduates […]
Saturday Morning Breakfast Club
By Edith Valiquette Every Saturday morning in Bridgeport, 4-H families gather for the Saturday Morning Breakfast Club. During this time, families eat together, have group discussions, and have fun. 4-H staff in Fairfield County created this program as part of its mentoring initiative because it saw the need to strengthen family bonds. The mentoring program […]