Local Workplaces LIVE UNITED with Food Donations
Two local workplaces that participate in the United
Way Community Campaign are Living United this season
with donations to the New Britain Food and Resource
Center and other local food pantries.
Click here for the full story.
United Way Announces Awards for Children's
Initiatives in New Britain
United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut,
operating locally as United Way of New Britain and
Berlin, announced $45,000 in funding for two
initiatives that support children's academic success
in New Britain: the Well Managed Classroom classroom
management model and the New Britain Discovery
Collaborative. To learn more,
click here.
69th Annual Community Celebration Is a Great
Success!
More than 70 people attended the United Way of
New Britain and Berlin's (UWNBB's) 69th Annual
Community Celebration on June 4. Congratulations to
our award recipients, shown below! To read
more about the celebration,
click here. To read the United Way of New
Britain and Berlin 2008 Community Report,
click here.
Above left: Acme Monaco Corporation of New
Britain received the 2008 United Way Community
Campaign Champion Award. Shown left to right:
Kristen Roberts, regional senior director of
community and public relations at Comcast, which
received the award in 2007; Brad Palazzo, community
relations manager at Comcast and member of the UWNBB
regional advisory board; and Tom Sebastian,
president of Acme Monaco Corporation.
Above right: Bristol resident Robbin Todhunter
received the 2008 Volunteer of the Year Award
for her exceptional service to Prudence Crandall
Center, a New Britain−based nonprofit organization
that serves victims of domestic violence and their
families. Shown left to right: Tanya Grant,
associate director of Prudence Crandall Center;
Robbin Todhunter; and Srividya (Shri) Madhusudhan,
director, environmental and property management at
Northeast Utilities and member of the UWNBB regional
advisory board.
Since 2005, an innovative program for improving
student behavior, called Well Managed Classroom
(WMC), has led to a 40% drop in discipline
referrals at Louis P. Slade Middle School. And it’s
brought similar results to two other New Britain
middle schools, with continued support from United
Way.
In February 2009, an average of 93% of students
in the three New Britain middle schools were found
to be “on task,” or paying attention, as opposed to
83% the prior month. WMC cuts down on
behavior problems in class, boosting the amount of
“teachable time.” And when teachers have more time
to teach, children have more time to learn.
WMC, a program of Boys Town in Omaha,
Nebraska, was first implemented in 2001 in Hartford
in a unique public/private partnership led by United
Way. New Britain and Berlin board members and
community leaders shared WMC results with
local educators, and in 2005 WMC was launched at
Louis P. Slade Middle School. Roosevelt and Pulaski
Middle Schools began using the model in 2007.
WMC effectively teaches students how to
manage their own behavior by breaking down 16
crucial skills into small steps that they can
understand and master, one at a time. For example,
students learn how to accept “no” for an answer, how
to disagree appropriately, and how to give and
accept criticism and compliments. Previously learned
skills are maintained, and a new skill is introduced
across the school each week.
United Way supports WMC and other local
programs and initiatives that build a brighter
future for children by equipping them with the
skills needed to succeed. United Way of New Britain
and Berlin would also like to acknowledge the
support of the Community Chest of New Britain and
Berlin, Inc., in providing resources for WMC
this year.
Want to learn more?
Click here for a podcast.of United Way's
Community Connections radio show on WTIC 1080
AM. The March 28, 2009 show featured Well
Managed Classroom.