Focusing on Educating, Enriching, and Empowering Hartford’s Youth

ConnectiKids Inc. is a nonprofit positive youth development organization that focuses on educating, enriching, and empowering Hartford’s youth. We work directly with three elementary schools, West Middle Community School, Dr. James H. Naylor School, and Michael D. Fox Elementary School, with students in kindergarten to fifth grade. We work with one middle school, Martin Luther Jr. Middle School, to serve students in sixth to eighth grade. We provide one-on-one or small group tutoring, mentoring, arts, book club, and enrichment throughout the academic year and summer program during summer break. With these programs, we expose our students to new people, places, and experiences that aid in positive growth and development.

Our Mission

ConnectiKids connects students facing systemic inequities and other barriers with people, places and experiences that level the playing field and inspire academic achievement, positive life choices, and big dreams.

We fulfill this youth-empowering, equity-advancing mission in partnership with schools, families, and the community. We provide one-on-one academic tutoring, individualized mentoring, arts and enrichment programs, and community-based learning experiences during the academic year and summer. These connections and opportunities motivate historically underserved kids to embrace elevated expectations, overcome adversity, and reach their full potential. 

45

years of non-profit service

400+

children helped yearly

K-12

grade students welcome

Our Programs Volunteer

Our History

ConnectiKids began in 1978 when volunteers from the Asylum Hill Congregational Church initially got together to provide a positive summer experience for third grade students at West Middle School a public elementary school in the neighborhood.  The group formed what was to be known for the next twenty years as the West Middle School Committee.  Upon completing their first summer, the volunteers quickly realized there was a greater need for assistance; with help from corporations located on “The Hill” they decided to have occasional after-school tutoring sessions for those students. 

 The name of the organization was changed to ConnectiKids in October of 1999 to better reflect the program’s wide-ranging impact and the connections it makes among children and adults from many walks of life.

ConnectiKids has been in service since 1978 and works with over 400+ children from the Hartford area through both year-round and summer programs.

Our Dedicated Staff

  • E. Andrea Williams, Executive Director
  • Kaleitha Brown, Development Director
  • Ashley Dwyer, Development Coordinator
  • Kiera Steele, Program Director
  • Vicmarie Delgado, Program Coordinator

Board of Directors

  • Shay Lewis,  Board Chair  
    Assistant Principal, Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary School
  • Therese MayVice Chair
    Speech and Language Therapist, Preferred Therapy Solutions
  • Viktoriia MillsTreasurer
    Senior Audit Associate Fiondella, Milone & Lasaracina
  • Roland Lessard, Secretary
    Greenwich Point Capital
  • Ymari Rigby
    Process Analysis, Hartford Financial Services Group 
  • Jeremy Smith
    Sr. Product Manager, Honeywell International
  • Roland Lessard
    Greenwich Point Capital
  • Barrow Shurn
    Associate Director Engineering, Pratt & Whitney (Division of Raytheon Technologies)
  • H. Scott Williams
    Senior Counsel, Hartford Financial Services Group (Law Department I Coverage Unit)
  • Kristen Moyer
    Vice President of Enterprise Underwriting, Travelers

Committee Members

  • Jane Condron, Committee Member
  • Mary Wisenski, Committee Member
  • W. Dylan Cushing, Committee Member
  • Elizabeth Wilson, Committee Member
  • Tifa Talovic, Committee Member
  • Christina Yanaros, Committee Member

Community Partners