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About New Haven Learning Hubs

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During the 2020-2021 school year and as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the New Haven Learning Hubs were safe spaces for children to go before, during, and after the school day for supervised distance learning with high-speed internet access, social support, and enrichment. Children were eligible to attend a Hub if they were New Haven residents in Kindergarten through 12th grades, registered for the New Haven Public Schools, and demonstrated high need. These Hubs were at no cost to families and families with the highest needs received priority placement. Cohorts ranged between 10-14 with staff supervision.

 

Learning Hubs were operated by the Learning Hubs Collective comprised of some of our community’s core youth development organizations: the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven, the City of New Haven’s Youth and Recreation Department, the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, ConnCAT, and more. Space was generously donated by member churches of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association and National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference’s Faith and Education Coalition. Clifford Beers serves as the Collective’s administrative coordinator, common application manager, and fiscal agent.  

 

As schools return to in-person learning and the need for Learning Hubs has stalled, the Collective continues to focus their efforts in citywide, grassroots, volunteer-driven initiatives that support children, youth, and families throughout New Haven.

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If you would like to get involved or have ideas for youth-centered initiatives, email us at learninghubs@cliffordbeers.org.

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Partners

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  • Boys and Girls Club of New Haven

  • Clifford Beers

  • ConnCAT 

  • Faith and Education Coalition

  • Music Haven

  • New Haven Free Public Library

  • New Haven YMCA Youth Center

  • Solar Youth

  • Families, educators, and community members!

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See locations here

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Guiding Principles

 

Collective Tenets

 

  1. Provide a supplemental offering that seeks to help as many families as is possible, not a universal public service

  2. Prioritize disengaged and low-income children and youth, as well as children of essential workers and single working parents, who are part of the City’s most vulnerable populations

  3. Application is via a common application and waiting list, with placement priority given based on need and proximity

  4. Support and collaborate with all partners in their efforts to serve the community, not just those we work with directly

  5. All dollars raised go directly to support Learning Hub operational costs, and are distributed based on a mutually-agreed upon process and criteria

  6. Operate minimally during school hours, five days per week, and provide after school options wherever possible

  7. Aim to serve children and youth of all ages, from K through 9th grade, including paid support roles created for older youth

  8. Participation is free to families, in order to enable equitable access

  9. Adhere to shared Infection Control Guidelines 

  10. Collaborate with New Haven Public Schools’ certified educators by supporting children learning remotely 

  11. Provide supportive programming that is high-quality, developmentally-appropriate, and culturally-affirming

  12. Maximize use of the outdoors and physical recreation

  13. Not a religious program, with no religious programming and religious iconography within houses of worship covered or removed.

  14. Learn from the experiences of other cities undertaking similar initiatives

 

Collective Decision-Making  

 

  1. Decisions are made collectively, using the Comer principles of consensus decision making, no-fault problem solving, and collaboration.

  2. A Coordinating Committee exists for the purpose of making general decisions between collective meetings and addressing any concerns. 

  3. The Collective holds a regular meeting open to all and maintains a Google Group that receives all meeting announcements.

  4. Working Groups are established as needed to brainstorm, exchange ideas, and co-create plans around specific topics, e.g. Safety and Operations, Recruitment and Communications, Resources, and Programming.

  5. Concerns should be brought to the Coordinating Committee for resolution.

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