The North Hartford Ascend is a cradle-to-career effort to ensure children living in the North Hartford Promise Zone – which includes the Clay Arsenal, Northeast, and Upper Albany neighborhoods – have the support they need to reach their full potential.
Connecticut Children’s received a five-year, $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Promise Neighborhoods Program to support the initiative, which officially launched in January 2022. Connecticut Children’s is now leading an impressive cross-sector team of early childhood experts, community leaders, community-based organizations, and residents to identify community priorities and enhance the academic, health and life outcomes of North Hartford residents.
The Ascend Model
Overseen by Connecticut Children’s, Ascend partners are working to create a comprehensive and integrated network of programs and services that will be universally available to children and families in the North Hartford Promise Zone. Ascend will address academic, social, economic and health inequities faced by families in North Hartford, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Partners will work to eliminate disparities in outcomes based on race, ethnicity, disabilities and other factors so children and families are able to thrive.
