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Signed in as:
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The Hartford Votes~Hartford Vota Coalition is working to advance youth civic engagement through sustained, ongoing initiatives that extend well beyond election cycles.
Our efforts to advance youth civic engagement began with the 2025 Board of Education Election. For our first initiative, roughly 15 students from Hartford created PSAs emphasizing the importance of the election and encouraging their peers and parents to get involved.
Learn about the important role school lunches play in the daily lives of Hartford students. The Hartford Board of Education directly shapes the quality, equity, and overall health of our public schools.
Discover how sports budgets are allocated throughout the school year and what that means for Hartford students' opportunities, resources, and experiences.
Many coaches invest out of pocket to give their athletes the best opportunities to learn and improve through technology like Hudl.
Learn how stronger athletic budgets create better opportunities for Hartford students to grow as athletes, teammates, and champions.
For our second initiative, we recruited students from the City of Hartford to serve as trusted messengers about the importance of voting in the Board of Education election, helping educate their peers on how local elections shape their schools.
For our third initiative, we were fortunate to have two incumbent Hartford Board of Education candidates agree to a virtual interview with four students from the City of Hartford, joined by Yanidsi Velez from the Center for Latino Progress.
Meet incumbent candidate, Shontá Browdy, a dedicated Hartford native, mother, and education advocate!
Shontá has served on School Governance Councils, PTOs, and community leadership boards, and she’s committed to ensuring students thrive while families feel empowered in navigating the education system.
Note: All four Hartford Board of Education election candidates were asked to be interviewed, but only two responded.
Meet incumbent candidate, Cristher Estrada-Perez, a passionate community organizer and educator fighting for racial and economic justice in education, student debt cancellation, and equitable opportunities for all students.
Cristher is a Hartford native, first-generation college graduate, and Executive Director of the Student Loan Fund.
Note: All four Hartford Board of Education election candidates were asked to be interviewed, but only two responded.
The Hartford Youth Civic Collective (HYCC) is a youth-led, community-informed digital platform designed to centralize civic resources, opportunities, and information for young people across Hartford. This platform aims to bridge the gap between civic learning and civic participation for Hartford’s next generation.
This initiative is designed to bring youth and seniors from Hartford together for informal conversations about civic life. By meeting seniors where they are, in nursing homes, senior centers, and community housing, youth ambassadors can help strengthen civic awareness, build relationships, and exchange stories across generations.