“Central ’n the City” Program Teaches Leadership Skills to Area Youth
Dr. Catherine R. Baratta, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Social Work, Coordinator of Central ’n the City

School’s out throughout New Britain, and the 5^th annual Central ’n the City College Awareness Camp is about to begin!

Central ’n the City is a weeklong day camp held on CCSU’s campus for approximately 45 New Britain youth, ages 10-14 years. Participants experience what it’s like to be college students, while learning leadership skills in a supportive environment that encourages higher expectations and academic standards.

In small groups youth attend hands-on, interactive academic sessions presented by CCSU faculty and community collaborators, participate in supervised leisure activities, and interact with college students.

This year youth will be introduced to, for example, chemistry, psychology and yoga.  Special events include an afternoon Rock Cats game (courtesy of The Rock Cats and DATTCO), followed by the establishment of Camp Blue Devil. Participants will be spending the night under the stars (tents and cots courtesy of CT National Guard), no doubt a first for many of them.  The week will culminate in a traditional field day and ice cream social for family members.

Central ’n the City is a collaborative effort of the Department of Social Work and New Britain community/neighborhood-based agencies and programs. Founding collaborative partners include New Britain Weed & Seed Program, Department of Social Work, New Britain Police Department, Connecticut National Guard-Drug Demand Reduction Team, and the United States Attorney’s Office. In 2005 the Family Resource Center of New Britain joined the collaboration, and the Human Resource Agency of New Britain (HRA) is the newest partner, joining in 2006 and has provided tremendous support.  We’ve also received grant support from Banknorth CT. The School of Education and Professional Studies houses this initiative.

Summer camp has spun off two other initiatives. During the academic year, we join with the Department of Mathematic Sciences to offer a monthly Saturday morning Math Club for youth and their parents, providing math games to increase knowledge, skills, and confidence, while decreasing math anxiety.

The second spin-off is the Homework Club, an after-school program for North Oak neighborhood youth and offered at the newly renovated Human Resources Agency of New Britain Community Center. Weed and Seed and the Connecticut National Guard-DDRT took the lead in this initiative, recruiting youth, and purchasing educational software for the new community computer lab where the Homework Club is held. CCSU students have tutored youth and modeled positive student behavior. 

It is our hope that these and future efforts—both on campus and in the neighborhoods—will create a sense of a neighborhood university, where youth and their families recognize the University as a vital resource.

The CCSU Department of Social Work is proud to be able to partner with our neighbors to fulfill not only the mission of the University and our profession but also to enhance the well-being and quality of life for New Britain youth and families.    

For further information about the summer camp program, please call the New Britain Human Resource Agency at (860) 225-8601.

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