This program provides academic support and enrichment activities, youth development, including nutrition and health, and recreation, aligned with Hartford Public Schools district improvement plan and core standards. The after school programs are provided in Maria Sanchez Elementary School and Ramon E. Betances Early Reading Lab. The afterschool programs provide services to 65-100 children between the ages of 8-17 years old.

The Family Resource Center is located at María C. Colon Sánchez Elementary School. Services provided include “Parent as Teacher” certified parent education for parents who have children aged  0-3 including monitoring developmental milestones, home visits, play groups and workshops/group connection meetings for parents; after school programming; educational opportunities for child care providers; and family literacy activities including Family Read, family support, advocacy and referrals.

This program provides training to 20 students ages 10 -17 from María Sánchez. Youth are selected from our after school program to be “junior leaders.”  They participate in a minimum of 3 sessions per week, including multicultural leadership training and service learning programming, and assisting in ongoing implementation of key MI CASA initiatives.  The intent is to engage youth and families in our community centered service learning initiatives “Transformando el Futuro” (Transforming the Future) and to further develop a “hierarchy of respect” that is a key element of leadership in the Latino culture. 

This program incorporates a variety of learning activities including academic enrichment, environmental learning, science, youth development, nutrition and health, cultural activities, sports or athletics and technology/media activities. This program is designed to provide enrichment activities during the school summer sessions. The program is five weeks and target youth between 10-17 years of age living in Hartford-Frog Hollow and surrounding neighborhoods. The summer provides services to one-hundred children living in the City of Hartford.

The purpose of this initiative is to raise awareness about the importance of making healthy decisions about relationships and sex and, to adopt less risky behaviors. A total of eight facilitated sessions provided by health educators are conducted aiming to empower students to develop goals for their future; to develop and manage intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, to improve self-confidence and  positive attitudes and, to apply the skills learn to their everyday lives through role-playing and interactive activates and games designed to enhance their knowledge. This initiative uses an evidenced-based curriculum from the Center for Diseases Control.

This is an additional service offered to individuals on a walk-in basis. We are able to hellp invididuals with different type of services such as: help completing certain application forms, provide referrals and linking them to other services available in the community, providing support and guidance to advocate for specific matters.

• Afterschool Program and Family Resource Center at Maria Sanchez Elementary School
  
  
  • Denise Ortiz, Youth Service Coordinator
    860) 695-4983
  • Yesenia Conde, Family Resource Center Coordinator
    (860) 695-4983

Resources and Helpful Links

• CT State Department of Education
• City of Hartford, Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation
• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
• Hartford Public Schools
• United Way of Central and Northeastern of Connecticut