Youth Leadership & Grants Available to Improve Windham

July 22, 2024


Students in Windham are learning invaluable life skills such as teamwork and leadership in a special, free summer program. I'll break down how they're also getting a comprehensive understanding of the power of government.   

Nonprofits and municipalities are eligible to apply for grants to improve our community for everyone. Keep scrolling to learn how the AARP Livable Communities Grant Program works and how to apply. 

Here are the sections in today's email:

  • Let's Talk About It: Youth Leadership Academy
  • Grants Available to Improve Windham
  • Statewide Campaign to Combat Speeding
 
Let's Talk About It: Youth Leadership Academy
We learned about an amazing, free academic program that helps kids learn about leadership and team building on my weekly radio show “Let’s Talk About It.” The Windham Prevention Summer Youth Leadership Academy connects high school aged students with the Windham Police Department and local government so they can play an active role in our democracy.

Karen Ravenelle-Bloom, the director of the program, and Sergeant Josh Clark, a Willimantic Police officer who helped create the academy, explained how this week-long curriculum is making a huge difference. They can see teens coming out of their shells, asking questions, and building confidence.
Learn more about the program
On the first day of the program, kids met all the key players who run the town of Windham. The mayor, town manager, firefighters, police chief, and others outlined how they support our community and how they deal with individual challenges. They also encouraged our high school students to pursue internships in different town departments.

I met the students on the second day of the program when they visited the State Capitol. They toured the House Chamber and got a better understanding of how government works on local, state, and federal level. This visit also teaches our youth that their voice is important, and they can come up with their own ideas. Some students started understanding their potential as future leaders in our state.

Make sure to click on the video below to listen to the entire show!
Karen Ravenelle-Bloom and Sgt. Josh Clark explain the benefits of the Windham Prevention Summer Youth Leadership Academy.
 
Grants Available to Improve Windham
You're invited to nominate a nonprofit or municipality to apply for the 2024 AARP Livable Communities Grant Program. It is dedicated to funding “quick-action” projects to improve our neighborhoods for people of all ages. The application deadline is Friday, August 16, at 5 P.M.
Click here to apply!
The AARP Connecticut Livable Communities Grant Program is open to incorporated organizations that are 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) nonprofits and Connecticut municipalities.

The maximum amount of any single grant will be $5,000. All applications should be for a project of $5,000 or less. AARP Connecticut has funded 38 projects since the inception of the Livable Communities Grant Program in 2018.
Grant applications should be for projects in Connecticut that are focused on improving the lives of those 50+ and make a positive impact on:
  • Outdoor spaces and buildings
  • Transportation
  • Housing
  • Social Participation
  • Respect and Social Inclusion
  • Work and Civic Engagement
  • Communication and Information
  • Community and Health Services

Please email questions to CTLivable@aarp.org.
 
Statewide Campaign to Combat Speeding
A statewide campaign is underway to urge drivers to slow down on our roadways. The Connecticut Department of Transportation, local police, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are working together to promote safer driving with more speed limit enforcement. The campaign runs through September 5.
There is urgency to address this issue. In 2022, 115 people died in Connecticut from speeding and reckless driving. Speeding accounts for about one-third of all traffic-related fatalities nationally. It is a form of reckless driving that jeopardizes everyone’s safety. According to NHTSA, in 2022, 87% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities on American roads occurred on non-interstate roadways.

For more information about the dangers of speeding, visit nhtsa.gov.