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Working Cities celebrates design grant winners in Connecticut Working Cities celebrates design grant winners in Connecticut

Bridgeport, Danbury, East Hartford, Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, Norwich, Torrington, and Waterbury to receive $15,000 design grant awards Bridgeport, Danbury, East Hartford, Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, Norwich, Torrington, and Waterbury to receive $15,000 design grant awards

April 5, 2017

At an April 5 event at Real Art Ways featuring Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy, and other Federal Reserve Bank of Boston partners, the Working Cities Challenge celebrated the design grant winners pursuing collaborative and ambitious economic development strategies to improve the lives of low-income people in Connecticut's cities.

"Today, we are celebrating the passion, collaborative spirit, and ingenuity of Connecticut residents to push forward proposals toward bettering their cities and our state economy," Governor Malloy said.

Members of the winning teams and leaders from the nonprofit, private, and public sectors in Connecticut joined President Rosengren, Governor Malloy, Avangrid Foundation Director Nicole Grant, NeighborWorks America President & CEO Paul Weech, and members of the Connecticut Working Cities Challenge steering committee, advisory committee, and resource development committee for the celebratory event at Real Art Ways – a non-profit art space located in Hartford.

Following the six-month design phase, these teams will compete for larger implementation awards expected to be between $300,000 and $500,000. The cities are focused on increasing job opportunities for various populations (youth, Latino, single-headed households); aligning workforce training with local industry needs; retaining and attracting a younger workforce; and reducing barriers to employment (basic life skills, childcare, and transportation).

In March 2016, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren announced Connecticut would be the next New England state to participate in the Working Cities Challenge. Eligible Connecticut cities included: Bridgeport, Bristol, Danbury, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwich, Torrington, Waterbury, West Haven, and Windham.