Data Story
for Residents
What is
North Hartford Ascend?
North Hartford Ascend is a prenatal-to-career initiative to ensure children living in the North Hartford Promise Zone – which includes the Clay Arsenal, Northeast, and Upper Albany neighborhoods – have the support they need to reach their full potential. Whether it’s school help, health services, job training, or parenting support, Ascend connects residents to what they need to thrive.
This data story highlights the work of 75 Community Programs across the North Hartford Promise Zone—providing services and resources to children, families, and youth.
It helps us:
- Understand who is being served.
- Identify where more support is needed.
- Improve how we work together as a community.
Our Shared Impactin 2024
In 2024, our community came together to connect children, families, and neighbors with programs and resources that made a real difference.
- Who was Reached?
- What Supports Were Provided?
- What Changed?
New individuals & 314 Families joined programs in 2024
Residents served across North Hartford
Referrals connecting families to the right support
of Participants completed their program
Who Was Reached?
2,400+ Individuals and 314 Families Newly Enrolled in 2024
Families and community members across Clay Arsenal, Northeast, and Upper Albany connected with Ascend programs in 2024, with many enrolling in more than one service to get the support they needed.
11,000+ Residents Served in 2024
Ascend programs reached more than 11,000 residents throughout the year, supporting individuals and families with resources across education, health, and community services. (Including individuals enrolled in more than one program)
48 Programs Offered Through Hartford Public Schools
Of those served, students at S.A.N.D., Wish, Milner, MLK, and Weaver schools received extra support that strengthened learning and growth.
What Supports Were Provided?
75 programs offered a range of services, including
• Schoolwork and tutoring • Finding a job or summer work • Childcare • Parenting support • Housing help • Health resources and neighborhood • events • Referrals
10,000 Referrals Made in 2024
Nearly 10,000 referrals connected families to both Ascend and non-Ascend programs, ensuring residents were guided to the support and services they needed most.
17 Agencies Shared Data and Insights
Seventeen partner agencies collaborated by sharing information about their programs and service reach, strengthening connections and improving community impact — including:
What Changed?
71% Program Completion Rate
In 2024, 71% of participants completed the programs they enrolled in, showing strong engagement and lasting connection to community resources and support.
2,000+ Community Members Engaged
More than 2,000 residents took part in community fairs, school events, and after-school activities, reflecting strong involvement and interest in local programs.
Ways Ascend Has Helped
Every program tells a story of hope, from students finding new opportunities to families building stronger futures with the support of community partners.
- Supporting Students and Education
- Supporting Children and Parents
- Learning and Growing Together
- Jobs and Housing
- Wellness and Health
A few of the ways that Ascend programs and services have support students and families in the North Hartford Promise Zone include:
Supporting Students and Education
• Hartford Promise supported high school students in finding internships and college financial aid.
Supporting Children and Parents
• Hartford Talks and the Maternal Infant Outreach Program helped families with early learning and essential needs like car seats. • 211 Child Development Infoline guided parents to autism services they didn’t know were available.
Learning and Growing Together
• Bringing STEAM to Hartford Neighborhoods connected families to science and art programs. • Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library helped build home libraries for young readers.
Jobs and Housing
• San Juan Workforce Development helped a mother experiencing homelessness find housing and a job.
Wellness and Health
• The Hartford Health Initiative hosted events and connected people to care and wellness tools. • Easy Breathing continued to improve asthma care in schools.
Working Together to Create Impact
- Stronger Referrals = Stronger Support
- Community Presence and Participation
- Improving Outreach Strategies
Programs took action to address the following challenges:
Stronger Referrals = Stronger Support
Programs are continuously improving how families are connected to other services and how they track referrals within their data systems.
- Programs visited partner sites to strengthen collaboration and improve coordination, helping ensure families are connected to the right services through warm hand-offs.
- Some programs created private social media groups to keep families engaged and informed.
- The Data and Evaluation team is working with programs to help them collect better data on referrals.
Community Presence and Participation
Programs shared info at events, health fairs, schools, and doctors’ offices, and improved communication with partner organizations.
Improving Outreach Strategies
Programs like Ascend Family Navigators set specific goals to improve how they recruit and follow up with families.
Get Involved with Ascend
- Attend Ascend Monthly Community Conversations and share your story and ideas.
- Talk to a Family Navigator to get connected to an Ascend program/service.
- Sign up for Upcoming Events and programs to stay involved.
- Consider becoming part of the evaluation of Ascend.
Need Help Finding a Program?
Start with the Ascend Resource Map, the 211 Child Development Helpline, or connect with a Family Navigator through the Ascend network.