Applications Now Open for Connecticut College Corps Program

The recently created Connecticut College Corps, which aims to recruit college students interested in working at summer enrichment programs as part of the governor’s plan to provide K-12 students and families with engaging enrichment and learning experiences in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, is now accepting applications.

Under the initiative, the state will partner with local colleges and universities to recruit 500 higher education students to participate in summer programs for children. Participants will receive training on social-emotional health, equity, diversity, and academic training to support the summer programs.

The Connecticut Office of Higher Education, Connecticut State Department of Education, Fairfield University, and other public and private higher education institutions across the state will work together to recruit college students and match them with summer programs. The effort is a collaboration of a statewide working group of higher education institutions seeking to support K-12 education summer enrichment efforts. It is funded with $1.5 million of Connecticut’s Coronavirus Relief Funds, in addition to $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds under a proposal the governor recently submitted to the state legislature.

“Investment in the Connecticut College Corps will ensure summer program providers have the staff necessary to expand access to high-quality, high-impact learning and enrichment opportunities,” Connecticut Education Acting Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said. “College students will gain meaningful experience, and our children will benefit from the mentorship of older students, supporting our efforts to address children’s social-emotional well-being leading up to the fall. This is a win-win for everyone involved.”

Applications are open until May 21, 2021. Applicants should be undergraduate college students who attend Connecticut colleges and universities, including class of 2021 graduating seniors or Connecticut residents who attend college out of state.

More information on the program, including the application materials, is available online at www.fairfield.edu/collegecorpsct.