Partners Visit Campus to Start Projects with First-Year Community Action Students

September 24, 2019September 24, 2019 Megan Faver Hartline, Director of Community Learning

Community Action Gateway students are starting the semester by jumping into partner projects with five Hartford organizations: Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, Night Fall, Make the Road CT, Public Allies CT, and the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice. Partners from each of these organizations came to Trinity’s campus on Thursday, Sept. 19th to meet with students and talk about the projects they are starting together–60 second videos highlighting key aspects of each organization.

Over the next six weeks, students will interview members of their organization, film special events, and research what their organization does in order to create a video that will help the organization reach its goals. Following their filming and research, they will participate in video workshops and several peer feedback sessions. Once the videos are complete, students and partners will come back together in November for a celebration dinner to showcase the videos and talk about ways to connect organizations in Harford with students at Trinity.

In addition to direct experience creating products for community partners, students also get the opportunity to learn more about community change work happening in Hartford from multiple perspectives. Professor Stefanie Wong says that the overall goal is for students to learn to “put their social justice beliefs in action by building connections between Trinity and Hartford. These kinds of projects help them see how they can continue this kind of work for the rest of their time at Trinity and wherever they end up next.”

Shanee Ransom and Lindsay Tengatenga ’08 of Public Allies CT talk with Marshall Montner ’23, Leah Winters ’23, and Caroline Killian ’23

Jennifer Crookes Carpenter of Night Fall, Micaela Rufus ’23, Addison Cox ’23, and Catherine Doyle ’23 make plans for their partnership.

Denise Rhone ’10, Maddie Granato, Allie Rau ’23, Reagan Flynn ’23, Meg Dubois, and Camm Mattison ’23 are partnering on a video for CT Women’s Education and Legal Fund.

Riley Nichols ’23, Kenyatta Thompson of the Katal Center, Tiana Sharpe ’23, and Makayla Boucher ’23 make plans for their video.

Leida Ramos, Norma Martinez-Hosang, Silveria Hernandez, Imelda Diaz, Rosario Tepoz and her daughter Belen of Make the Road CT are working with Josh Jacoves ’23, Leslie Macedo ’23, and Citlalli Rojas Huerta ’23 to create a video for their current campaign.

This is the third year that Community Action Gateway students have created videos for community partners. Check out videos from 2018 and 2017.

If you are interested in learning more about how to apply for the Community Action Gateway for 2020-21 or in partnering with Gateway (or other Trinity) students, contact Director Megan Faver Hartline.