Stamford Cradle To Career Receives $250,000 Grant

Information via Stamford Cradle to Career

STAMFORD, CT ― Stamford Cradle to Career (SC2C) announced Thursday it has received a $250,00 grant from the national StriveTogether network.

According to a news release, this StriveTogether Cradle to Career Community Challenge grant will help SC2C achieve its goal of providing equity and excellence in education for every Stamford child. Funds will be used to support SC2C’s operations and infrastructure, allowing it to build upon its successful initiatives while collectively aligning resources to support Stamford’s children.

Over 60 community organizations across Stamford partner with SC2C to improve lives for children and youth. (To sign up for Stamford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

SC2C is a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, a national movement to help every child succeed in school and in life, regardless of race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance.

The Cradle to Career Network impacts the lives of more than 12 million youth―including nearly 9 million children of color―across 29 states and Washington D.C. Other Connecticut members of the network are Norwalk ACTS and Bridgeport Prospers.

The Cradle to Career Community Challenge is a grant program by StriveTogether that invests in efforts to improve equity and economic mobility for children and their families.The goal is to strengthen and align the many systems, such as education, employment, health and housing, that shape opportunity for every child.

"With this grant, we can continue the valuable work we have done over the past few years with our partners, and start to plan new programs to help create brighter futures for our children," SC2Cpresident Bridget Fox said in a news release. "The events of the last year have highlighted to need for educational equity in all communities, and these funds will put energy and resources behind those efforts in Stamford."

Since its launch in 2016, SC2C has brought schools, community-based organizations, and businesses together to implement a number of initiatives including:

• Making the Sparkler App available to parents of preschoolers, to help them track their child’s healthy growth and development
• Providing professional development opportunities for Stamford teachers to help them improve early grade reading
• Launching a Summer Literacy Initiative to help children who are struggling with reading gain extra support in summer programs
• Launching Bridge to College, which has helped Stamford high school seniors make it to college in the fall after graduation by assisting with deadlines, paperwork, and filing for financial aid
• Co-hosting a series of virtual presentations and workshops on Community Racial Justice

United Way of Western Connecticut serves as the anchor and backbone support for Stamford Cradle to Career, which has more than 60 community partners.