Baseball Champs, Free Financial Workshop, and Mental Health Funding

July 12, 2024

Our kids are getting an amazing opportunity to play baseball in the new Roberto Clemente Youth League. Please look below to see our newly minted champions and All-Stars!

A new set of classrooms opened this week in Waterbury to teach our youth and their families how to handle their pocketbooks. I'll break down how the program will put our community in a good position toward financial prosperity.

The state announced the release of more than $2 million dollars in funding to support summer mental health at school and camps. Please keep reading to find out how Waterbury is getting financial support for our kids.

You will find the following sections below:

  • Amazing Inaugural Baseball Season
  • Free Hub for Students to Learn About Their Finances
  • Summer Mental Health Funding for Our Youth
 
Amazing Inaugural Baseball Season
We are witnessing a transformation in progress in Waterbury as hundreds of our children poured their hearts and energy into the Roberto Clemente Youth League in the city’s south end. We are all so excited to see our kids get new athletic opportunities at the gorgeous, brand-new George Tirado Sr. Park. It’s the first time the league has returned to Waterbury in 47 years, so we are all very grateful to the many sponsors and volunteers who have made this possible.
The Roberto Clemente Youth League is a testament to the Puerto Rican legend who dedicated his life to excellence while helping others. The league is bringing our community together, unifying parents and kids while building camaraderie on and off the diamond. Our players, coaches, and fans are reaping the benefits of this amazing league in just its first year.
I would like to congratulate the Phillies in the Major division and the Astros in the Junior division for winning their respective inaugural championships. Each team demonstrated exceptional teamwork over the course of the season and fully deserved to be the winners. Your families are proud of your accomplishments!
With the regular season behind us, the Clemente All-Stars are making us proud with their athleticism, skill, determination, and grit. This talented group of 11 and 12-year-olds from the inner city of Waterbury is 5-1 to start the season, which will continue over the next two months. This team is the start of a new generation of baseball players from Waterbury who will hone their craft while serving as an inspiration for the future.
 
Free Hub for Students to Learn About Their Finances
Students in Waterbury have a new place to turn to for free advice on improving their own financial futures. The city opened its first finance lab, in partnership with Webster Bank, at the Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury at 233 Mill Street. The lab is designed to guide lower-income individuals toward a path of financial empowerment, independence, and growth. Webster Bank presented the Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury with a $100,000 check to support the program.
Students and adults will have access to resources to learn about saving and making money while preparing for a healthy financial future. Everyone has goals, such as home ownership or higher education, and this lab gives everyone a much more realistic chance to achieve those dreams.
The lab comes a year after we passed Public Act 23-21, which will require students, starting with classes graduating in 2027, to take a half-credit course on personal financial management and financial literacy. Teaching our children how to handle money empowers marginalized communities, like Waterbury, and lays the foundation toward growing personal wealth.
Victor Lopez Jr., president and CEO of the Waterbury Hispanic Coalition
Connecticut ranked 21st for statewide financial education access in 2022, according to Next Gen Personal Finance, a non-profit provider of personal finance curriculum and professional development in the United States. Just 15.3% of Connecticut high schoolers are currently guaranteed to take a personal finance course of at least one semester before graduating. This legislation, which I am proud to have co-sponsored, will undoubtedly help our students handle their pocketbooks.
 
Summer Mental Health Funding for Our Youth

Waterbury Public Schools and the Greater Waterbury YMCA will receive a combined $105,500 in funding for mental health programming for students during the summer months over the next two years. This investment will create a safer, more nurturing environment for our youth.

The Waterbury School District and Greater Waterbury YMCA are two of 36 recipients of the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Summer Mental Health Supports Grant program. In total, more than $2 million is going to support mental health at public schools and summer camps across the state.

Funding children's mental health services is essential for enhancing academic success and social development. Mental health directly affects a child's ability to learn, focus, and interact positively with peers and educators. By integrating mental health support into schools and communities, we foster their cognitive and emotional growth.