BTS 2019-2020 Community Impact Report

2018- 2019

COMMUNITY
IMPACT REPORT

ENGAGE.

EMPOWER.

INFORM.

Partners Empowering Youth 

©2019, Waterbury Bridge to Success, Waterbury, CT
Designed by Akia S. Callum

Research Support by Kris Noam, PhD

Table of Contents

PARTNERSHIP 6
7
Mission 8
About the Partnership 10
The City of Waterbury
Community Partners 12
13
PROCESS 14

Collective Impact 17
Shared Community Vision 22
How We Work 23
28
PROGRESS 31
34
Early Care & Education 38
Positive Youth Development
Developmental Assets Profile 42
Boost! 43
College and Career Pathways
Family Engagement  
Equity Matters

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Our Network
Want to Make An Impact?

PURPOSE OF THE COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT

Youth serving organizations have a long history in the City of Waterbury to deliver quality
programming for a range of needs through collaboration. Waterbury Bridge to Success (BTS)
was established in 2010 as a response to the communities call to collaborative action. As a
result, BTS is Connecticut’s first “cradle to career” youth initiative.  

Since the interception of BTS, a diverse cross sector of leaders remain committed to improve
educational and workforce outcomes in our community by working collaboratively.  By
taking a collective impact approach, allowing data to drive our decisions and aligning our
resources and talent, Waterbury children, youth and families are better off.

We are proud to provide you with our 2018-2019 Community Impact Report, which is a
detailed snapshot of our shared community vision and efforts in Waterbury at this moment
in time. To ensure the success of all children, Bridge to Success is focused on equitable results,
improving upon what works, and seeking to change what does not.  

Our hope is that this report serves as a lens into the places where there are opportunities for
broader community and student level change and greater opportunities to align systems for
long-term and sustainable impact.  We are thankful for all of the hard work of our Council,
the Collaborative Action Networks (CANs) and their respective leadership who put in the time
and effort to improve the overall well-being of our community.

We applaud all of our partners, parents and providers for their tireless efforts to work in our
community to achieve equitable change and empower Waterbury’s youth to become
successful in school, career, and life.  

Yours In Partnership,

Althea Marshall Brooks
Executive Director,
Waterbury Bridge to Success

David Morgan,
President/CEO,
Team Inc. 
Outgoing BTS Community Council Chair 

Jacquee Porter
President/CEO,
Save Girls on FYER
2019 - 2020 BTS Community Council Chair 

PARTNERSHIP

Mission

Waterbury Bridge to Success is a cross sector
partnership of over 90 community and civic
leaders, educators and organizations working
collectively to achieve equitable change by
empowering Waterbury’s youth to be
successful in school, career and life.

6

BRIDGE TO SUCCESS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

"What does it mean

when a community

comes together to

change its future?"

It is necessary to provide our children with the tools they need to become educated, employed,
and engaged members of society. We all need to work together with shared accountability and
vision for every child in Waterbury regardless of background or circumstance.
Waterbury Bridge to Success (BTS)  is a driving force for changing the status quo. We provide
structure for change by engaging our community to build capacity around support for student
success. We accelerate change by empowering all sectors of the Waterbury community by
identifying tangible solutions such as after-school programming. BTS is an inclusive
partnership of community and civic leaders, educators, and organizations committed to
evidence-based decision making. Together we are building a strong bridge to connect our
youth to a brighter future. 
We are committed to ensure Waterbury youth succeed in school, career, and life.
BTS is a member of the nationally acclaimed Strive Together Cradle to Career Network. Strive
is a national network of 70 community partnerships in 32 states and Washington D.C. working
to improve educational success for every child. 

7

8

CITY OF WATERBURY

          As in most urban settings, economic          Waterbury is home to nearly 110,000
indicators are unevenly distributed across Connecticuters. 25.6% of whom are 18 years
Waterbury, with poverty estimates old or younger. The city remains majority
ranging from 1.2% in some zip codes White (45.4%) with a larger minority group
(06706)  to 50.2% in others (06710). The (31.2%) identifying as Hispanic/Latinx. An
poverty level for all city residents is 27.7% additional 17.8% of residents identify as
as of 2016. This figure rises to 32.5% African American, and throughout the city,
among children and reaches 21.4%  for roughly 6% of residents identify as Asian,
children 5 and under. Poverty climbs American Indian, Pacific Islander or other.
even higher in single-parent households,
rising above 60%. The population of Students and families enrolled in the
children 0-18 is disproportionately Waterbury Public School (WPS) system are
concentrated in the poorest areas of the demographically quite different from the
city. city-wide population. Enrollment in WPS is
nearly 19,007, with 18.2% of the district
Source: Waterbury, Connecticut. (n.d.). Retrieved from students identifying as White, 22%
http://www.city-data.com/city/Waterbury- identifying as Black, 54% identifying as
Connecticut.html Latinx, 1.6% as  Asian and 3.5% as two or more
races.

9

BRIDGE TO SUCCESS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. The Leever Foundation
All Our Kin Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury

Alpha & Omega Kingdom Ministries Living Faith Christian Church
American Savings Foundation Madre Latina
Americorps
The Bible Church of Waterbury Mattatuck Museum
MC2 Technology, Inc.My Reflection Matters
Boy Scouts of America – CT Rivers Council
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Waterbury Naugatuck Valley Community College
Brass City Charter School Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury
Brass City Harvest
Bristol Hospital Parent & Child Center NETS, Inc.
BW STOP New Opportunities, Inc.
Catholic Charities Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board
Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters
Central Naugatuck Valley Regional Action
Council Palace Theater
Planned Parenthood of CT
Children In Placement, Inc.
Children's Law Center of CT Rainbow Academy LLC
Children's Community School Rivera Memorial Foundation
Christ Community Church of Greater Waterbury Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury
City of Waterbury – Bureau of Recreation
City of Waterbury – Department of Health Saint Mary's Health System
City of Waterbury – Office of the Mayor Save Girls on F.Y.E.R., Inc.
Shakesperience Productions, Inc.
Community members
Community Tabernacle Outreach Center Shop-Rite
Silas Bronson Library
Concepts for Adaptive Learning StayWell Health Care, Inc.
Connecticut Community Foundation
Stone Academy
CPEP Taking Action in Waterbury
CT Dance Theater
CT Junior Republic Team SEALS Corporation
Department of Children & Families Together We Shine
Easter Seals of Greater Waterbury UConn
Family & Children's Aid
The Ungroup Society
Favor, Inc. United Way of Greater Waterbury
Flanders Nature Center
Unity Dance Ensemble
FreeTHEM,Inc. Value of One
Girl Scouts of CT
Warrior Princess, Inc.
Girls, Inc. Waterbury Hospital
Governor's Prevention Partnership Waterbury OIC, Inc.

Granville Academy Waterbury PAL
Gtr Waterbury Area Alumnae Delta Sigma Theta Waterbury Public Schools
Waterbury Public Schools - Kingsbury School
Greater Waterbury Autism Speaks Waterbury Public Schools - Wilson FRC
Greater Waterbury YMCA Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce
Health 360 Waterbury School Readiness Council
Wtby Symphony Orchestra - Bravo Waterbury!
Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury Waterbury Youth Council
Junior Achievement Waterbury Youth Services System, Inc.
KaMs Kiddie Korner
Webster Bank
Kids Against Hunger Waterbury Wellmore Behavioral Health
Women's Inspirational Network
10 Workplace Success Group, LLC

Young Civic Learners

PROCESS

COLLECTIVE IMPACT

Achieving large scale change involves working in new ways. Bridge to Success has
adopted five conditions for collective impact in Waterbury. 

Common Agenda Continuous Communication
All partners involved share a All partners communicate open and
common vision for change. honestly build trust, motivation, and
shared accountability. 
Shared Measurement
All partners agree on how success Backbone Support 
will be measures and agree to share The organization helps facilitate and
data. drive the process, but the community
leads the decision making. 
Mutually Reinforcing Activities
All partners coordinate actions to
support the common agenda. 

METHODOLOGY

Individual Action

Individual practitioners working on specific issues
Collecting data for individual programs
Demonstrating impact with individual students 

Coordinated Action

A group working on a specific issues
Sharing program information/design
Aligning efforts around a specific issue or population

Collaborative Action

A group working together towards the same outcome
Using disaggregated student level data
Continuously improving practices over time

12

SHARED COMMUNITY VISION

Engage. Empower. Inform. -- In 2010, Bridge to Success (BTS) was established as Connecticut's first
Cradle to Career youth initiative. Creating shared accountability through the use of our

Collaborative Action Networks (CANs), a community vision for education was identified. The
vision outlines four primary focus areas that include the competencies, experiences, and
benchmarks all children should achieve.

The partnership established four educational goals  for all students in
Waterbury based on the Strive Together Theory of Action for Systems Change:

Source: Theory of Action. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.strivetogether.org/our-approach/theory-of-action/

GOAL 1 GOAL 2 GOAL 3

Shared community vision: Evidence-based decision Collaborative Action:
making:
Organizations, institutions, and Partners use a variety of data to
community members align their Student-level data is accessible continuously improve and
and used regularly by relevant implement strategies that
work to support the cradle to partners to inform actions to intentionally accelerate
career vision by effectively improve outcomes and reduce
communicating and outcomes for populations facing
disparities. persistent disparities.
demonstrating ways that support
shared accountability for results Collaborative action efforts are
sustained to improve outcomes
and build community
engagement.  and reduce disparities.

GOAL 4

Investment & sustainability:

Partners consistently build
capability and staff are

supported with sustainable
funding to implement the
evolving partnership strategy.
Public and organizational
policies change to support
improvement of community-
level outcomes and reduce

disparities .

13

HOW WE WORK

Bridge to Success utilizes a system to access our collective impact through a grass-roots,
data-driven approach that convenes our partners into Collaborative Action Networks
(CANs). We focus on improving outcomes and indicators, leveraging existing resources,
and striving to engage, empower and inform the Waterbury community. 

COLLABORATIVE ACTION NETWORK

Our 4 Collaborative Action Networks (CANs) and
our "Think Tank' are composed of partners who
have content expertise, knowledge as well as
influence in the community and have an
understanding on how to leverage their resources to
move the work forward. Partners offer direct
services to schools, students, and families.
Together, as a team, we hold each other accountable
to develop and reach our indicated goals.

YTIUQEEQUITYYTIUQEEQUITY
YTIUQE
Early Care & Positive Youth College Career
Education Development Pathways

14 EQUITY

YTIUQE EQUITY Family

Family PositEivQeUYIoTuYthIS THE CENTER OF OUR WORK
Engagement
Our community-based work must kEeenpgfaagmeilmiees nantd equity at
tDheecveenltoepr mofeenvetrything we do. In order to ensure this, we have
developed Equity Matters, a Think Tank that provides guidance

to all of our Collaborative Action Networks and
BTS Council Members. See page # for more details. 

15

PROGRESS

NOITACUDE & Early care and education is the foundational tool for learning that all
DOOHDLIHC YLRAE students need to begin a successful journey through school, career,
and life. Kindergarten readiness is linked to future academic
achievement and life success. When children develop fundamental
skills and responses in early childhood they are equipped with the
skills for reading, social skills, and emotional regulation. There is a
growing recognition that the skills children develop early in their lives
facilitate learning in their later stages of development. Skills that are
missed earlier may become difficult to compensate for at a later time.
As a child’s kindergarten readiness score improve, research has also
shown that third-grade reading and math scores also rise.

Based on National research, the achievement gap is visible even on
the kindergarten level. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are
seen to perform below their more advantaged peers in early reading,
mathematics, oral language development, vocabulary, and general
knowledge. According to the Kindergarten Entrance Inventory (KEI)
used by the Waterbury Public School system, only 24% of the students
were ready within the literacy domain.

GOAL

All children to be ready for
kindergarten from a 
developmental, cognitive, and
social emotional perspective.

Percentage of children at level 3 on Kindergarten Entrance Inventory

According to the Kindergarten Entrance Inventory, only a minority of children entering
Waterbury Public Schools are ready. 

17

EARLY LITERACY HOME VISITORS

Bridge to Success works with Early Literacy Home Visitors (ELHV)  to support children that are
considered "at risk". Through the use of the ELHV program, families receive  support to instill a life-long
love for learning. This initiative provides families with books as well as guidance to assist in learning how
to read with their children.   Literacy activities can be categorized as active and passive.

The figure below shows that both active and passive literacy activities increased by the time the child is 12
to 18 months old. It also shows that both activities drop when the child reaches 18 months and beyond.

Percentage of caregivers who engage in literacy activities at least five days a week

Changes over time on ASQ

AGES & STAGES QUESTIONNAIRE

The ELHV also administer the Ages
and Stages Questionnaire
(ASQ).To  examine the child's progress
regarding major developmental
milestones. The figure  shows that as
time goes by, children are more likely
to remain within the normal range. 

18

EARLY CHILDHOOD

MENTAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM- 2017

More than 360 people attended BTS Early " I loved the focus on trauma and that it brings
Childhood and Mental Health Symposium
in September of 2017. Prior to the event, awareness of its impact . "
49% of the attendees knew at least three
resources for children experiencing - Symposium Attendee
trauma.

The  subject of trauma,  Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the impact
on young children influenced the
participants to form a vision around the
trauma informed movement.
Disseminating information to bring
awareness and to impact the community at
a larger scale was a top priority.

BTS is currently working with partners to
design a model where all teachers and the
whole community can be trained on
trauma and PTSD. This model includes
preventative after-school programs,
mental health support for students and
staff, addressing the needs, and
strengthening ties between school, students
and families. 

Trauma of Children Served by Attendees

Nearly all attendees (84%) worked with at least one child with trauma. 

19

EARLY CHILDHOOD

MENTAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM- 2019

On March 8, 2019, Waterbury Public School,
Waterbury School Readiness, Team Inc., and
Bridge to Success organized a symposium for
early childhood providers. Half of the attendees
were preschool or kindergarten teachers and

another quarter were paraprofessionals or
teachers assistants. The remainder of the
attendees were either professionals that interact

with children or 

There were three sections to the day:

I. Circle of Security Training 
    (Department of Children and Family)

II. Pyramid Model Workshop
     (Consultant)

III. Resilience Screening and Discussion
     ( Waterbury Bridge to Success)

CIRCLE OF SECURITY PARENTING PYRAMID MODEL WORKSHOP

(COS P) TRAINING Of the 90 attendees completing a post survey,
95% said that they attended the training on the
Slightly less than a third (29%) of the pyramid model. Almost everyone (strongly)
participants had heard of COS P before. There agreed that they learned something new (94%)
were only a handful of people (9%) who had and the presenter was engaging (98%). Before
received a formal training on COS P. The the training, 22% of the attendees thought that
majority of participants either agreed (50%) or the pyramid model had three or fewer tiers,
strongly agreed (48%) that they learned after the event. As the picture on the right
something new during the COS P presentation. shows, the model has either four or five tiers,
Seventy-two percent (72%) strongly agreed that depending on how you count the tiers. After
the families they serve could benefit from COS the event there were only four people (5%) who
P. All but 1% of the participants strongly would thought the pyramid has three tiers or less.
recommend the COS P training and/or This indicates that attendees increased their
presentation to their colleagues. understanding of the multilayered
interventions for children’s socioemotional
20 learning.

EARLY CHILDHOOD

MENTAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM- 2019

RESILIENCE SCREENING More than a quarter (28%) of all attendees felt only a little
familiar with Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences
(ACE). Yet, all experienced working with children with
multiple challenges (e.g. lack of concentration, children
acting aggressively, having limited verbal abilities, etc.).
However, after lunch attendees split up in a group attended a
session on curriculum and a group (about 80 people)
attending the screening of the documentary movie
Resilience. While 29% of the attendees at the screening had
already watched the movie, all learned something new: two
thirds (68%) strongly agreed and one third (32%) agreed.
Similar numbers learned something new from the table talks
(63% and 37%, respectively). Of the 25 people writing a
qualitative answer to what they found most valuable of the
day, 68% mentioned the resilience screening and training on
trauma.

TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES OF THE CHILD(REN)
THE ATTENDEES WORKED WITH

Only 5% of all attendees said they had not worked with
children who have had at least one traumatic experience
in their life. As is shown on the left, most attendees had
worked with children with various traumatic experiences.
In some cases, an attendee may have worked with a child
who experienced multiple traumas and in some cases the
attendee may have worked with multiple children with a
single traumatic experience. The table on the right
displays the percentage of attendees who indicate they
have worked with at least one child experiencing the
specific trauma.

NUMBER OF ACES OF ATTENDEES Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is the term used to
describe all types of abuse, neglect, and other potentially
traumatic experiences that occur to people under the age of 18.

Fifty-seven attendees answered questions on their own Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Nearly half (42%) of the
attendees said they did not have an ACE. While a quarter had
one, 12% had two ACEs and a fifth (19%) had three or more
traumatic experiences growing up. There is a stark difference
between people identifying as White (n=40) who had average
ACE score of 0.95 and people of color (n=16) who had an average
ACE score of 2.38.

21

TNEMPOLEVED Literacy is critical to a student’s academic success. Early grade reading
HTUOY EVITISOP in particular, is vital as research has shown that disparities in literacy
in early grades can be linked to persistent achievement gaps later on. 
Studies also show that students who are not proficient in reading by
the end of third grade are four times more likely to leave high school
without a diploma than proficient readers. It is in the third grade that
students experience a transition period from “learning to read” to
“reading to learn”. 

Mastering mathematics is an important milestone in academic
achievement, and intellectual development overall. Nationally, many
studies utilize the completion of eight grade math scores as an
indicator of college and career readiness.

GOAL

Increase culturally responsive
programming to increase the
hollistic wellbeing of
Waterbury youth

Percent of third graders who read at or above proficiency level

Slightly more than a quarter of
Waterbury's third grade students

meets or exceeds the English
Language Arts (ELA) benchmark

Math Proficiency, by race/ethnicity, 2016 - 2017 Examining students' math abilities
from the 3rd grade up until the 11th
22 grade, there is a significant decline in
math proficiency between 4th and

6th grade.

DEVELOPMENTAL ASSET PROFILE

The Developmental Asset Profile
(DAP) is a strength-based
assessment of social emotional
functioning. By focusing on the 
strengths and talents, the data has
shown that students mental as well
as emotional well being improves. 

Waterbury Public Schools began
implementing the DAP in 2013 to
select schools and grades across the
city.Additionally, after the
conclusion of the citywide
collection of the DAP, all after
school programs that receive
funding from The United Way of
Greater Waterbury (UWGW) was
also required to intake data. The
DAP focuses on eight domains.
These domains are measured using a set of 58 questions. UWGW and BTS work with seven agencies delivering
eight programs who collect the DAP twice a year: once at the beginning of the school year and once at the end.
The number of DAP surveys collected increased greatly. The number of paired DAP surveys tripled. 

Bridge to Success works with school-aged youth through various youth providers. Our focus lies on
providing youth with a multitude of resources, such as tutoring, identity enhancement, physical activity,

self-affirming programs, to enhance their well being and academic. By using the Developmental Asset
Profile (DAP) surveys, BTS measures the impact of these programs have the youth's overall well-being.
Through our partnership with the United Way of Greater Waterbury, we were able to triple the number of

DAP surveys from 250 paired surveys (children completing a survey in the fall and spring) to 776!

Youth increased their score on each of the eight domains, as well as on the composite (average) score.
Examining the data of each of the domains and the percentages of youth improving on each domain shows

that for each of the domains around 80% of youth improved. 

23

THE HATE U GIVE
MOVIE SCREENING & DISCUSSION

On October 26, 2018, shortly after the official I really enjoyed the movie, it really touched my
premiere, Bridge to Success (BTS) organized a
private screening "The Hate U Give". The heart. Thank you for having me.
screening was coupled with a youth panel and
took place at Brass Mill Center. More than 90 -Screening Attendee,
youth providers and youth attended. Survey  13 yr old, female
data was collected among 49 youth and 14
providers. While most providers (90%) heard
about BTS before, only 17% of youth had an
idea of what BTS was. Not only did community
interest increase in the work of BTS, But both
youth and providers were also interested in
attending more events.

In response, Bridge to Success (BTS)  created a
series of talkbacks to engage Waterbury youth
in conversations about race, racism, movement
building, and liberation. With this series, BTS
hopes to arm youth with the language and
knowledge they need to best articulate their
realities, their histories, and current events
surrounding race, racism, oppression and
liberation. It is also our objective to provide a
safe and equitable space where honest and
transparent conversations around these topics
are a key strategy in building community and
youth civic engagement.

ATTENDEES RELATIONSHIP TO THEMES IN THE MOVIE

24

THE HATE U GIVE

MOVIE SCREENING & DISCUSSION

While BTS wanted the event to be fun, its main objective was to provide an opportunity for youth to learn about events
that are familiar to them and offer a platform where they can be heard. Indeed, 87% of the youth and all of the providers
(strongly) agreed that the events depicted in the movie are relevant to Waterbury and they (strongly) agreed that the
events are not news to them (and 91% and 89%, respectively).
Enquiring further about the experiences of youth and providers shows that most of the providers can relate to the
majority of subjects addressed in the movie. Of the youth most can relate to racism and to speaking up for your rights.
Around a quarter of the youth can relate to subjects such as interracial dating, poverty, community violence, code
switching and police brutality, around 15% can relate to gang affiliation and drug usage, and somewhat less to parental
incarceration.

SATISFACTION WITH THE EVENT

" I really enjoyed the movie. It
really touched my heart.

Thank you for having me."

- Youth Attendee, girl, 13

"I'm happy more truth went to
the big screen."

- Youth Attendee, boy, 15

"Thank you for the
opportunity for the children to

be empowered and to be
heard."

- Youth Organization, female staff member

25

THE HATE U GIVE

TALKBACK SERIES

Following a film screening and youth
panel discussion of The Hate U Give,
Bridge to Success (BTS) facilitated a Talk
Back series to engage Waterbury youth in
conversations about race, racism,
movement building, and liberation. With
this series, BTS intended to arm youth
with the language and knowledge they
need to best articulate their realities, their
histories, and current events surrounding
race, racism, oppression and liberation. It
was also our objective to provide a safe
and equitable space where honest and
transparent conversations around these
topics are a key strategy in building
community and youth civic engagement.

REPRESENTED SCHOOLS Seven (7) students completed the full series,
representing different Waterbury schools and
grade levels. All participants identified as
African-American/Black. Ages spanned from
10 – 17.

The Series spanned over 3 months with six, 2-
hour sessions to discuss the following topics:

1. Racial Equity Terms & Definitions
2. School Culture
3. Microaggressions & Identity
4. Violence
5.. Liberation

"I've seen my son's vocabulary improve since he started. I see an interest and a
commitment from him to come to every class and learn more.He wants to be here. "

- Mother of African American boy, 17, Sacred Heart High School 

26

THE HATE U GIVE
TALKBACK SERIES

It was apparent that many students, though eager to share, struggled to communicate and contextualize
their experiences due to a lack of language. As such, the first of this talkback series focused on an
introduction to basic terms and definitions as way to prepare them for future sessions. Prior to their
participation, applicants identified being able to define (on average) 7 out the 26 terms we would cover
throughout the series. By the final class, most participants were able to define 10 to 20 of the 26 terms.

HOW IMPACTFUL WAS EACH TOPIC THAT WE DISCUSSED?

" I'm going to have these
conversations with my friends

and family because this is
information everyone should

know."

- African American Girl, 16

" “What I witnessed was
absolutely amazing.”

-  Jaclyn Davis,
Director of School Culture & Climate

27

In 2016, BTS received funding to implement
comprehensive after-school programs through the
BOOST! model. BTS partnered with Waterbury Public
Schools (WPS) and selected four of the city's Pre-K to 8
schools to pilot the program. The objective of BOOST!
is to identify, and ultimately reduce ethnic and racial
discrepancies within schools and reduce gaps in
academic outcomes between Waterbury and the rest of
the state. 
 Quality after-school programs have numerous
scientifically proven advantages, such as increased
connection to the school, reduced absenteeism,
improved academics, and reduced deviant behavior.
To identify which programs would be suitable and
beneficial for students , three steps were taken :
1. Asset maps were conducted with the schools to
identify current services 
2. Students were surveyed about their current activities
and after-school program preferences 
 
3. Caregivers were surveyed on their needs and desires
for their child(ren)'s after-school program offerings. 

Scientifically proven benefits of attending an after school program

28

29

BOOST! PROVIDERS

Brass City Harvest, Inc.
The Fitness Fury X-Perience
Shakesperience Productions

Let's Go Youth United
Waterbury Youth Services

Mattatuck Museum 
CT Rivers Council, BSA
Neighborhood Housing Services of

Waterbury 
Lotus Counseling 
Pinnacle Training & Publishing
Kelly's Kids, Inc.

FAVOR Inc. 
St. Margaret Willow PAZA NRZ, Inc. 

BOOST! SCHOOLS

Carrington Gilmartin
Duggan Reed

Send in Through our Request For Information (RFI)
your Request For Information process, community providers, educators,
(RFI)  applications by visiting:  community members, parents/caregivers, and even
www.waterburybridgetosuccess.org students have the opportunity to design, implement
and carry out unique programming at any of the
30 participating BOOST! schools. The BOOST!
Coordinator will select eligible RFI’s for a follow-up
interview based on the criteria established for
identified areas of focus:

Early Childhood Development
Expanded Learning Opportunities
Health & Social Support Services and 
Family & Community Engagement

Those who meet the criteria will then be invited to
an Orientation to learn more about the BOOST!
initiative, its vision amd expectations.

SYAWHTAP Students who graduate from high school earn higher wages and see better results
REERAC & EGELLOC in other measures of personal and social welfare, such as health and
relationships. Increasing the educational attainment of one generation improves
the next generation’s academic and social outcomes.

Post secondary enrollment marks a critical transition in the cradle-to-career
pipeline. Students of color and those in low-income households are less likely to
pursue education beyond high school. As more careers require additional
preparation, it’s critical to ensure access to options and financial aid information
for four-year degrees, two-year programs, and technical certifications.

More than ever, degrees and certifications open doors to meaningful jobs and
stable futures. Society benefits from a more educated population, including
lower crime rates and more community involvement Connecting
post secondary graduates to good jobs, is the ultimate goal of the cradle-to-
career pipeline. Students who are employed within a year of graduation are on
their way to achieving self-sufficiency. When a community’s workforce is fully
engaged, the entire community is stronger.

GOAL

Create culture of high demand/high
interest fields that encourage

graduation matriculation, college
retention and job placement

Graduation Rates

The graduation rates in
Waterbury has made progress.
The gap between white and
black graduates is starting to
close. In the 2010-2011 school
year there was an 11 percentage
point gap between White and
Black students, in 2016-2017
there was a two percentage
point gap between the two
populations. Hispanic students,
however, continue to lag
behind.

31

What does graduation look like?

Research shows that perhaps rather than looking at graduation rates we should look at high school completion.
The term "high school graduation" only includes students who obtain a traditional high school diploma, the
term "high school completion", however, is more encompassing as it also comprises students who finish high
school with some sort of other credentials such as a GED or vocational certificate. 

The real question is, however, what it means when a student finishes high school, be it through graduation or
not. Are youth really ready for what comes after high school? - be it further education, employment, or enlisting
in the military. The figure below shows a fictive scenario of one high school class and their chances to go to
college and complete it. The figure is based on real data and shows that of all students in a given 12th-grade high
school class only 20% of graduates from college four years later. Students drop out from the path of college
graduation on various points along the way. Many never make it to college in the first place.

COLLEGE AND ALTERNATIVE PATH OF A HIGH SCHOOL COHORT

Compared to the state average, fewer COLLEGE ENTRANCE & PERSISTANCE
students in the city of Waterbury enter
college. White students are most likely to
go to college. Waterbury students are less
likely to see to go to college. Waterbury
students are also less likely to continue in
college.

One reason that relatively few Waterbury
students continue to college and persist in
college might be because they are not
prepared for this level of education.
Comparing graduation rates to SAT
scores shows significant gaps between the
percentage of students who are at or
above level for either ELA and Math in
11th grade. 

32

FINANCIAL LITERACY FAIR

High school graduates need more than academics to
succeed in life. In an effort to improve the financial
literacy of Waterbury youth, the Connecticut’s
Credit Union (CCU) and Bridge to Success (BTS)
organized Financial Reality Fairs. The first one was
held on 5/3/17, the second one on 4/12/2018.

Each year around 450 students attended. Students
assembled in one of the high schools gymnasiums to
play a real-size version of “The Game of Life”.
Students either chose or were assigned a job with a
specific salary and had to budget their monthly
expenses. Certain expenses (e.g. food, housing) were
mandatory (the red arrow) while others (e.g. leisure,
pets) were not (the orange arrow). Students were
challenged to adjust expenses to their income,
making sure their bucket would not stay (or even
become) empty for long.

Financial literacy is essential, but, as a recent study by the Department of Education shows, the financial literacy of
American youth lags behind that of other OECD countries. The average score of American youth on the financial
literacy scale of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) was lower than the OECD average and only
10%of American youth performed at the highest performance level, opposed to 33% of Chinese youth, 24% of Belgium
youth, and 17% of Dutch youth.

To gauge the increase of financial knowledge, CCU administered a survey among the participants of the Financial
Reality Fair. Before their participation, only 13% of participants felt very comfortable explaining budgeting to friends
and family. After the event, nearly half (40%) of the participants felt very comfortable to have this type of
conversation.

While the day was set up in an interactive fun fashion, student learned a lot as well. Other than increasing their
financial literacy, students also became more likely to save. Before the event 67% of students said the saved money.
After the event 90% said they were (much) more likely to save money due to the event.

STUDENTS THAT BECAME MORE LIKELY TO SAVE MONEY

33

TNEMEGAGNE Family engagement is a shared responsibility in which schools and other
YLIMAF community agencies and organizations are committed to reaching out
to engage parents in meaningful ways and the parents are committed to
actively supporting their children's and adolescents' learning and
development.
From the moment of birth throughout life, families have an enormous
influence on their children's learning and development. Research shows
that high-impact strategies to engage families that can produce dramatic
gains in children's social and emotional development, academic
achievement, and overall success. 
Creating full, equal, and equitable partnerships is a collective
responsibility which required systemic change in policy, resource, and
action. Families, educators, and community partners are able to develop
their capacity to deepen their understanding and core beliefs around
family engagement. 

GOAL

Make Family and Community
Engagement a community hub that
is driven by this group, parents and

community groups

Gracias a dios, al pastor, y a cada una de ustedes por venir a

instruinos en cuento a la nutricion estamos muy agradecidos,

ojala se repita*- Cooking Matters Particpant

*[Thanks to God, to the pastor, and to each of you for coming to instruct us about nutrition. we
are very grateful, hopefully it will be repeated]*

34

COOKING MATTERS

Cooking matters was a five- week program that works to ensure that families learn how to shop, prepare
and eat healthy foods on a limited budget. The program utilizes professional chefs, nutritionist, and
volunteers to equip families with skills and resources to prepare healthy meals.
BTS partnered with a local church and enrolled 26 people in the program, with equal amounts of adults
and children. Most of the participants were parent-child pairs. The data from the cooking matters
program showed that many of the families attended the program as a fun thing to do with the family.
That said, the data also highlighted that participants were more likely to include healthy foods in their
diet, such as low sodium foods, fruit, vegetables, low fat milk, and lean meat. Families became less likely to
choose unhealthy options, including drinking sugary soda and eating fried foods. 
Participants were asked about foods they commonly eat (at least twice a week). The figure below provides
an overview of the foods that were eaten by the majority of participants at least twice a week.

F O O D S E A T E N T W I CF EO OAD WEEAETKE NB YB YM PO AS TR TPIAC TI PI CAINPTASN AT ST L E A S T T W I C E A W E E K

COOKING MATTERS PARTICIPANT DATA

When asked, participants were most
likely to indicate that the cooking at
home was done by mothers (58%),
sometimes dads pitched in (27%) and
sometimes mom cooked with
someone else such as a grandparent
(12%). In very few cases (4%) there was
someone else doing the cooking.
None (0%) of the participants
indicated that fathers did all the
cooking

35

PARENTING WORKSHOP
In the fall of 2018, BTS organized a series of four parenting workshops. Around ten parents attended at
least one of the sessions. 58% of the parents identifies as Black or African American, 33% identifies as
Puerto Rican or Hispanic, and 8% identifies as multi-racial. Half (50%) of the parents had at least one child
in Waterbury Public School System (now or in the past). Yet only 13% of the parents felt that WPS did or
does an adequate job in affirming their child’s identity. At the beginning of the workshop, half of the
parents feel (very) uncomfortable talking with their children about their race/ethnic identity, and half
feels (very) comfortable.

Most of the parents experienced racism at least once in their life, mostly at work (67%). Most of the
parents also think their child experienced racism at least once in their life, mostly at school (56%).The
data shows that half the parents were not familiar with (many) resources in the city that could affirm
their child(ren)’s identity in a positive way.

PARTICIPANTS WHO EXPERIENCED RACISM AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFE

Work Street School Other Friends Street School Other

It is not surprising that the parents
expressed excitement and anticipation
about the workshop series. One parent
wanted to learn “other views on race”,
another said that she wanted to know “how
to cope”. Another parent elaborated more
saying: “Become aware of my bias and
misinformation for self-correction”. And
one parent hoped that the workshop
supported her efforts in helping others,
wanting to learn “how to better prepare
the youth interact w/ to deal w/ racial issue
and how to be sensitive to their struggles
and concerns”

36

PARENTS AWARENESS OF RESOURCES PARENTING WORKSHOP

Participants were very positive about the workshops,
as is indicated in the graph below. All parents
strongly agreed that their children could benefit
from the things they learned, that the subjects are
important to discuss, that the workshop was
engaging, and that the presenter was knowledgeable.
The vast majority very much agreed that they
themselves could learn from the subjects discussed
and that they will use the things learned at home. Not
all parents strongly agreed that the information
provided was new; 9% of the parents were familiar
with some of the materials.

NARRATIVE FEED BACK BY PARENTS

What did you learn in these workshops?
" Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome"
" All the Resources provided was wonderful"

"Social Justice"
"How much it sits in me to divide just Black/White
and not so much focus on brown. I am excited with

the incorporation. Plus, race is more visual."
"Different narratives"

POST WORKSHOP SATISFACTION, PARENTS AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT

37

SRETTAM Many organizations are beginning to look inward, to further assess
YTIUQE whether they are equitable in their composition, culture and policies.
By adapting an “equity lens”, individuals and organizations are able to
GOAL address socioemotional and environmental factors through
dis-aggregated data and direct action.“Racial equity recognizes that the
Provide training and support historical legacy and persistence of racist systems, policies, and culture
to collaborative action requires that we directly name and work to address racial disparities so
networks, BTS council that one’s racial identity is not a predictor of their educational, health,
members, local service economic, or other outcomes. “

providers, and community The purpose of Equity Matters is to ensure equitable outcomes for
members around issues children and youth by building the cultural competency of BTS
impacting historically stakeholders. Equity Matters also :
marginalized groups in
Influences the creation and/or adoption of equity tools/products
Waterbury and best practices
to address their needs.  BTS and other stakeholders can utilize in their equity work as well

as share related information (articles, blogs, videos, etc.) to the BTS

community via the website and newsletter.  

Serves as the review committee who are responsible for continuous

improvement in the creation and implementation of racially

equitable policies and practices impacting youth and families.

EQUITY IS AT THE CENTER OF OUR WORK

Family Engagement Series | Supporting the Racial Culturally Responsive Training Let's Talk About Race:
& Ethnic Identities of Black & Brown Kids (2 Day Intensive) A Family Guide to raising kids with Positive Racial and

Ethnic Identities

38

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICES

HAVE YOU BEEN TO A TRAINING FOCUSING ON At the end of February 2019, BTS organized a 2-day
EQUITY BEFORE ? intensive training on culturally responsive practices.
Twenty-one people attended and 18 completed the
survey; the majority (82%) identified as female. Five
people (29%) identified as non-Hispanic white, 24% as
Hispanic, and 41% as non-Hispanic Black. For many
people (41%) this was the first training they did on the
subject. Most attendees (59%) had done a training on
equity before. Of this 59%, 30% did that training in 2019
and 30% in 2018; 40% did an equity training a few years
ago.

The expectations for the training were high: All participants hoped to learn more about their own role in the
equity work, and most  hoped to obtain tools on how to increase equity in their organization and about the
connection between race and trauma. Only half attended the training to network or to learn more about race in
Waterbury. Day 1 focused on unpacking racism and day 2 included the documentary movie Resilience, which
addresses the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE).
Participants were asked about their perception on the prevalence of racism. Participants indicated if they agreed
or strongly agreed with a statement or if they disagreed or strongly disagreed. Participants could also say they
felt neutral about a certain statement. Nearly all participants agreed or strongly agreed that speaking about
racism is important and 88% (strongly) disagreed that there is no racism Waterbury (12% agreed with the latter
statement). The majority (82%) of attendees (strongly) agreed that the people they serve experienced racism.
Most (65%) of the attendees disagreed that in Waterbury everyone has equal opportunities (6% agrees). Yet, only
31% of the attendees disagreed that there is no discrimination in their organization (25% agrees).

PERCEIVED PREVALENCE OF RACISM

39

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICES
On both days, participants were asked to rate the quality of the information they received, the
helpfulness of the activities they participated in, the accessibility of the presenters, and their overall
satisfaction. Participants were also asked to provide written comments on a set of four prompts. The
graph shows that there were more people who felt “very satisfied” on the second day. On day 1, people
were most satisfied with the accessibility of the presenter, however there was one person who felt
dissatisfied about this. On the second day, people were least satisfied about the helpfulness of the
activities.
While not all participants were 100% satisfied with the approaches taken to dismantle racism and
converse about race, ethnicity, inequality, white supremacy, and racism, most participant did agree
about the importance of that work. Equity is at the forefront of all the work that BTS does and
continues to be so long as the gaps in academic outcomes between whites and Hispanic and
Black/African American youth remain. Dialogue about ethnic and racial equity is also pivotal in
creating a just community in which everyone can feel valued, heard, and at home.

SATISFACTION, BY DAY

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WILL STILL BE THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW?

"How these conversations will change
or add to my mindfulness"

"How my ACEs score affects my
teaching."

40

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TTHHEE BBRREEAADDTTHH AANNDD DDEEPPTTHH OOFF OOUURR NNEETTWWOORRKK

Business Non-Profit Government Early Education Higher Equity Faith-based
Learning K- 12 Education

COMMUNITY COUNCIL Suzanne DeRosa Jacquee Porter
Director of Child & Family Services  President/CEO,
Mercedes Abney Connecticut Mental Health Affiliates, Inc. Save Girls on FYER
Student,
Waterbury Public School Graduate Angela Holmes William Quinn
Director of Community Programs, Director,
Tiffany Basile Waterbury Hospital Waterbury Health Department
Director of Child and Family Development,
Catholic Charities Kristen Jacoby Karen Rainville
Chief Professional Officer, School Readiness Liaison,
Elaine Burke United Way of Greater Waterbury Waterbury School Readiness Council
Pastor,
Alpha & Omega Ministries - Christian Academy Dolton James Darren Schwartz
Director of Single Billing Office, Chief Academic Officer,
Kimberly Carolina UCONN Health Center Waterbury Public Schools
Director of HR and Labor Relations,
Naugatuck Valley Community College Toral Maher Bilal Tajideen
Program Officer/ Associate Vice President, Program Officer,
Angel Castellano Liberty Bank Foundation Connecticut Community Foundation
Pastor,
Smirna Misionera Chemay Morales-James Kevin Taylor
Founder/CEO, Executive Director,
David Celotto My Reflection Matters Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury
Director of Bridge to College Program,
Naugatuck Valley Community College David Morgan Monroe Webster
President/CEO, Mayor's Aide,
Erika Cooper Team Inc. City of Waterbury
Founder/CEO,
Uplifting A Life Jim O'Rouke Althea Marshall Brooks
President/CEO, Executive Director,
Kathi Crowe Greater Waterbury YMCA Waterbury Bridge to Success Community Partnerships
Executive Director,
Waterbury Youth Services

II NN VV EE SS TT OO RR GG RR AA TT II TT UU DD EE

And Private Donors

THE BACKBONE STAFF Althea Marshall Brooks, Executive Director
Roslyn Sotero, Director of Community Schools
42 Chemay Morales-James, Equity Coach
Kris Noam, Data & Evaluation Consultant
Akia S. Callum, Community Outreach & Marketing Coordinator
Jessica Jaramillo, Early Care & Education Intern

WANT TO MAKE AN IMPACT?

IDEAS FOR GETTING INVOLVED

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION

We’re just getting started, and we hope you’ll join us The Early Childhood CAN focuses on trauma-informed care,
in the work. We encourage you to get involved, serve social-emotional learning, and kindergarten readiness.  This
CAN supports early literacy home visitors throughout the city.
on an action team, tell someone about the
partnership, and continue to hold us accountable. Co-Chair: Dionne Johnson (Wellmore)
Co-Chair: Karen Rainville (Waterbury School Readiness)
Visit our website to get the latest news about the
CONNECT: partnership. Follow us on Twitter. Like us on POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Facebook. Most importantly–tell a friend. The Positive Youth Development  CAN brings together
Waterbury youth providers such as Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls
If you think this work is worth doing, support club, and the YMCA to improve and promote the
developmental assets, motivate academic outcomes, and
DONATE: improve high school graduation rates.

the partnership financially. Co- Chair Karen Mello (United Way)
Co-Chair Kathi Crowe (Waterbury Youth Services)
COMMIT: This work requires a long-term commitment to
the children of our city. Stay inspired, engaged, COLLEGE AND CAREER PATHWAYS
and hopeful.
The Career Pathways CAN supports financial literacy of high
school students, workforce development and college
readiness support.

Chair: David Celotto (Naugatuck Valley Community College)

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Having a focus on (young) children and youth automatically
implies we support a lot of families. At BTS we understand
that parents are children’s first educators and that families
often know their children best. Engaging families in any and
all conversations and making them feel welcome, safe, and
supported to do so is our goal.

Chair: Angela Holmes (Waterbury Hospital, Community
Outreach)

EQUITY MATTERS THINK TANK

There are large gaps between the academic achievements of
White students and Black and Brown students. This is
unacceptable. BTS strives for equitable outcomes for ALL
Waterbury children and youth. Equity Matterz TT
strategizes, discusses, and analyzes data, practices, and
(potential) interventions.

Co-Chair: Jacquee Porter (Save Girls on F.Y.E.R)
Co-Chair: Chemay Morales James (My Reflection Matters)

# 43

Engage.
Empower.
Inform.

@WaterburyBTS 100 N. Elm Street
Waterbury, CT 06702

203-754-0040
Waterburybridgetosuccess.org