North Hartford Ascend is a prenatal-to-career initiative connecting children and families living in the North Hartford Promise Zone – which includes the Clay Arsenal, Northeast, and Upper Albany neighborhoods – with the supports they need to reach their full potential.  

North Hartford Ascend is powered by a five-year U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods grant, with funding scheduled to end in 2026. While the current grant funding will conclude, Ascend’s vision is to establish a durable, sustainable prenatal-to-career system that supports Hartford’s children and families.  

To continue this vision, commitment, and momentum, Ascend Together: A Shared Path to Thriving Children, Families, and Neighborhoods was developed. Ascend Together is a five-year strategy and implementation plan for Hartford’s prenatal-to-career system. The plan defines shared outcomes, shared infrastructure, and shared investment, and includes a detailed implementation plan for 2026–2030. 

View the Ascend Together summary report below. The full report is available upon request.