July 19, 2006—The Tow Foundation has awarded Groundwork Bridgeport, a local nonprofit organization, a $20,000 grant in support of Groundwork’s innovative job training program for high school students, Individual Self-Sufficiency.

 

“We’re very grateful to The Tow Foundation for continuing to support this program,” said Richard Tiani, Groundwork’s Executive Director. “The ISS program has been great for the students involved, and we’re pleased that the Tow Foundation can help ensure the continuing education of our young members.”

 

Led by Joe Lanier, a board member and science teacher, the Individual Self-Sufficiency program is a two-year job training program that prepares youth for jobs in the landscaping and horticulture field, or for post-secondary education. Additionally, the program’s youth design and construct butterfly gardens while teaching and mentoring middle school students involved in Groundwork’s Butterflies Are Teachers program.

 

“The part of the program I liked best was teaching those kids,” said Chris Hoyt, who graduated from Harding High School and from the ISS Program in 2005. Hoyt, 19, was awarded a $1,000 dollar scholarship to Naugatuck Valley Community College. The scholarship was matched by NVCC, and Hoyt is currently studying horticulture at NVCC.

 

“It’s great that the Tow Foundation has been so generous to us,” said Richard Tiani. “The public school system doesn’t always offer kids the opportunities that they deserve, so it’s always great when the private sector steps up to support innovative educational programs.”

 

The ISS program is in its third successful year. Groundwork Bridgeport was founded in 1997 by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Bridgeport, and is dedicated to the regeneration, improvement, and management of the physical environment by empowering people, businesses, and organizations to promote environmental, economic, and social well-being. For more information, you can call Groundwork at 203 335 6126 or visit them on the web at www.groundworkbpt.org.

 

Julia Rankin, Ph.D., elementary school science coordinator for the Bridgeport Public School System was delighted to be a part of designing the BAT curriculum. “Groundwork Bridgeport has done an amazing job working with limited resources to mobilize the students in this important project that involves peer teaching, offers young students positive role models and important summer jobs leading to full time work. None of this would be possible without the strong community partnerships formed by this initiative.”

 

The Tow Foundation is pleased to support Groundwork Bridgeport’s programs since the foundation’s central goals are to support initiatives that improve juvenile justice, youth development, child welfare and education. The Groundwork Bridgeport does this and achieves meaningful and effective results with their community-based services designed for youths involved with or at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system. “In our experience, we have found that providing youth with life and job readiness skills and connecting them with mentors and caring adults in their communities are the most important ways to help them be successful and to reduce problem behavior,” said Emily Tow Jackson, executive director of the Wilton-based family foundation. “We commend Groundwork Bridgeport for creating real job opportunities for youths who may not have considered horticulture and landscaping as viable careers. Many are youths who often aren’t given a chance for success.”

The Tow Foundation’s mission is to promote and support effective non-profit programs that measure outcomes and to encourage the development of initiatives that are based on sound research.  The foundation seeks to leverage funding from various sources to ensure the long-term quality of services and is committed to finding ways to fill some of the gaps left by other funders.

The foundation currently is committed to supporting programs and services designed to improve outcomes for vulnerable families and children and advancing public policy reform in the areas of juvenile justice, youth development, child welfare and education.