Friday, July 6, 2018
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Spotlight on the Learning Corridor
We are so excited to partner with Doreen Abubakar, the Newhallville community leader behind the Learning Corridor in Newhallville, to bring a summer full of affordable activities to the Learning Corridor. Doreen is working at NHS as an Americorps Vista this summer to build green spaces where residents can pursue healthier lifestyles together. The spaces will serve a broader goal of building community cohesion and changing the negative perceptions of poorer New Haven neighborhoods. The Learning Corridor, a hub for education and health and wellness programming on the Farmington Canal Trail, is one such space.
Five years ago, before Doreen started her work, residents of Newhallville called the space where the Learning Corridor sits the “Mud Hole;” an apt name for a plot of land that could not grow grass and served as a hub in the local drug trade.
The health and wellness disparities she witnessed in in Newhallville drove Doreen to turn the “Mud Hole” into the Learning Corridor. Doreen said she watched outsiders study Newhallville relentlessly as a locus for poverty and trauma. But, she said, those studies did not bring additional support or resources.
From the beginning, Doreen capitalized on the cycling infrastructure running through the corridor and the diverse group of people it brought to the heart of Newhallville. The Learning Corridor sits on the Farmington Canal Trail, a train line turned multi-use path, which runs from New Haven, CT to Northampton, MA. Five years ago, the space attracted volunteers on bicycles from outside of Newhallville. Riders on the trail would stop and pick up trash without engaging the surrounding community in the cleanup effort. Doreen wanted to bridge the gap between volunteering efforts and residents. She started beautification events and aggressively fundraised to turn the Learning Corridor into an engine for Newhallville revitalization that is responsive to the community.
While the portion of the Farmington Canal running through Newhallville is larger than any other neighborhood’s, many residents did not have a bike to enjoy it. Doreen made it possible for all residents to ride the trail safely. Purchased and donated bikes from Bradley St. Bike Co-op have a permanent home on the Learning Corridor in a shed. Devil’s Gear Bike Shop donated 25 helmets. In July, Doren plans to start holding regular bike safety lessons. Recently, Newhallville youth have been meeting at the Learning Corridor to use the bikes for their weekly Bike Club. Every Saturday, New Haven bicycling advocate Paul Hammer, leads the bike club down the trail and around Newhallville.
Doreen also uses the Learning Corridor to attract the outside involvement and partnerships that will be critical to Newhallville revitalization. On CT Trails day (June 5), a statewide day of activities to build public support for trails, attendees from around Connecticut visited for free bike rentals and guided tours of Newhallville and the Learning Corridor. New Haven Friends of the Farmington Canal Greenway sponsored the event and Doreen supervised activities. The event gave attendees who are unable to bring their bike to the trail an opportunity to finally cycle down it. Doreen also invites New Haven schools to the Learning Corridor to volunteer and to ride the trail.
The Learning Corridor (on the corner of Shelton Ave and Hazel St) hosts much more than cycling events. Pollinator gardens, bee hives, fitness groups, line dancing and free pancake breakfasts are just a few of the things coming to the Learning Corridor this summer! Here’s what’s coming:
GirlTrek: GirlTrek encourages women of color to lead healthier lives by hosting weekly walking clubs around the nation. Starting in July, one chapter will meet every week on Thursdays at the Learning Corridor from 5:30 to 7
Explore.Discover.Create: Every weekday starting July 9th and lasting until August, partners of the Learning Corridor will host Explore.Discover.Create activities at the Learning Corridor from 10 to 12. Expect hands-on educational activities and lots of fun!
Jazz at the Learning Corridor: Starting July 15th, stop by the Learning Corridor for free jazz performances from 5 to 7.
Eating Healthy Lessons: Stop by on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 in July for lessons on healthy eating with a nutritionist.
Learning Corridor Maintenance: It takes a lot of work to maintain the Learning Corridor, which now encompasses an urban oasis, two small fields, and a community gardening. Visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 to participate in beautification efforts and community gardening.
Biking Club: On Saturdays at 9:00 am, younger residents meet at the Learning Corridor to use a bike free of charge. Bicycle advocate Paul Hammer leads the group.
See our flyer below for more information about each event.
Reach out to Doreen Abubakar at doreenabubakar@gmail.com to learn more about how to volunteer at the Learning Corridor and upcoming events.
This piece was written by Yale Public Service Fellow Will Taft
Five years ago, before Doreen started her work, residents of Newhallville called the space where the Learning Corridor sits the “Mud Hole;” an apt name for a plot of land that could not grow grass and served as a hub in the local drug trade.
The health and wellness disparities she witnessed in in Newhallville drove Doreen to turn the “Mud Hole” into the Learning Corridor. Doreen said she watched outsiders study Newhallville relentlessly as a locus for poverty and trauma. But, she said, those studies did not bring additional support or resources.
From the beginning, Doreen capitalized on the cycling infrastructure running through the corridor and the diverse group of people it brought to the heart of Newhallville. The Learning Corridor sits on the Farmington Canal Trail, a train line turned multi-use path, which runs from New Haven, CT to Northampton, MA. Five years ago, the space attracted volunteers on bicycles from outside of Newhallville. Riders on the trail would stop and pick up trash without engaging the surrounding community in the cleanup effort. Doreen wanted to bridge the gap between volunteering efforts and residents. She started beautification events and aggressively fundraised to turn the Learning Corridor into an engine for Newhallville revitalization that is responsive to the community.
While the portion of the Farmington Canal running through Newhallville is larger than any other neighborhood’s, many residents did not have a bike to enjoy it. Doreen made it possible for all residents to ride the trail safely. Purchased and donated bikes from Bradley St. Bike Co-op have a permanent home on the Learning Corridor in a shed. Devil’s Gear Bike Shop donated 25 helmets. In July, Doren plans to start holding regular bike safety lessons. Recently, Newhallville youth have been meeting at the Learning Corridor to use the bikes for their weekly Bike Club. Every Saturday, New Haven bicycling advocate Paul Hammer, leads the bike club down the trail and around Newhallville.
Doreen also uses the Learning Corridor to attract the outside involvement and partnerships that will be critical to Newhallville revitalization. On CT Trails day (June 5), a statewide day of activities to build public support for trails, attendees from around Connecticut visited for free bike rentals and guided tours of Newhallville and the Learning Corridor. New Haven Friends of the Farmington Canal Greenway sponsored the event and Doreen supervised activities. The event gave attendees who are unable to bring their bike to the trail an opportunity to finally cycle down it. Doreen also invites New Haven schools to the Learning Corridor to volunteer and to ride the trail.
The Learning Corridor (on the corner of Shelton Ave and Hazel St) hosts much more than cycling events. Pollinator gardens, bee hives, fitness groups, line dancing and free pancake breakfasts are just a few of the things coming to the Learning Corridor this summer! Here’s what’s coming:
GirlTrek: GirlTrek encourages women of color to lead healthier lives by hosting weekly walking clubs around the nation. Starting in July, one chapter will meet every week on Thursdays at the Learning Corridor from 5:30 to 7
Explore.Discover.Create: Every weekday starting July 9th and lasting until August, partners of the Learning Corridor will host Explore.Discover.Create activities at the Learning Corridor from 10 to 12. Expect hands-on educational activities and lots of fun!
Jazz at the Learning Corridor: Starting July 15th, stop by the Learning Corridor for free jazz performances from 5 to 7.
Eating Healthy Lessons: Stop by on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 in July for lessons on healthy eating with a nutritionist.
Learning Corridor Maintenance: It takes a lot of work to maintain the Learning Corridor, which now encompasses an urban oasis, two small fields, and a community gardening. Visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 to participate in beautification efforts and community gardening.
Biking Club: On Saturdays at 9:00 am, younger residents meet at the Learning Corridor to use a bike free of charge. Bicycle advocate Paul Hammer leads the group.
See our flyer below for more information about each event.
Reach out to Doreen Abubakar at doreenabubakar@gmail.com to learn more about how to volunteer at the Learning Corridor and upcoming events.
This piece was written by Yale Public Service Fellow Will Taft
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Monday, June 4, 2018
This Week's Agenda!
Here are some public events we will either be hosting or members of our staff and partners will be participating in throughout the week. Come say hi, have some fun, and learn more about what is going on in our city!
The New Haven Environmental Advisory Council will be meeting at 5:15 pm at City Hall in Meeting Room 3 (165 Church Street, 2nd Floor) to discuss environmental issues in the city of New Haven and watch a presentation from Nicole Davis of Save The Sound. You can read the agenda for their June meeting here.
Work starts on Kwadwo Adae's women's empowerment mural on the Farmington Canal! For the next several weeks volunteers will be working on the mural from 2 - 8 pm. The project is still looking for volunteers and donors. Check our the fundraiser and
for more information contact kwadwo.adae@gmail.com
Tuesday
Come with some of our CB&O staff and learn about what is happening in the Dwight/West River neighborhood at Amistad Academy Middle School (130 Edgewood Ave) in the Gymnasium from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm.Wednesday
Check out our free 'Don't Borrow Trouble: How to Spot Credit Traps' webinar with the director of The HomeOwnership Center, Bridgette Russell. This class will help you; 1)Recognize the top 5 signs of dangerous credit 2)Study cases of scams in our community and 3)Identify what to do if it happens to you and how to report credit scams. Register here.
New Haven's Affordable Housing Task Force will be holding a public hearing on the state of affordable housing in New Haven, in the Board of Alders Chamber on the second floor of City Hall at 165 Church Street, starting at 5:30 pm. Come learn from your neighbors and make your own voice heard.
The New Haven Environmental Advisory Council will be meeting at 5:15 pm at City Hall in Meeting Room 3 (165 Church Street, 2nd Floor) to discuss environmental issues in the city of New Haven and watch a presentation from Nicole Davis of Save The Sound. You can read the agenda for their June meeting here.
Work starts on Kwadwo Adae's women's empowerment mural on the Farmington Canal! For the next several weeks volunteers will be working on the mural from 2 - 8 pm. The project is still looking for volunteers and donors. Check our the fundraiser and
for more information contact kwadwo.adae@gmail.com
Thursday
Join Doreen Abubakar founder of the Learning Corridor for the weekly Beautification Community Project at the Learning Corridor on Shelton Avenue on the corners of Starr st. and Hazel st. from 5:30 - 7 pm.Friday
We got rained out last week so come help Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven Staff celebrate the belated kick off of Neighborworks Week by working on a women's empowerment mural on the Farmington Canal at 400 Goodrich Street from 11 am - 3 pm. Muralist Kwadwo Adae will be leading us in painting, landscaping, and site clean up. Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven will provide tools, water, and food.Saturday
Join Paul Chambers of Elm City Cycling for a bike tour of the city's green infrastructure including some of Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven and Connecticut Fund for the Environment - Save the Sound's 2018 residential rain garden installations. The "Bringing the Rain" tour will be starting at 2pm on the New Haven Green as part of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas which kicks off this weekend!Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Whats on the Agenda this Week?
Here are some public events we will either be hosting or members of our staff will be participating in throughout the week. Come say hi, have some fun, and learn more about what is going on in our city!
All are welcome! Bring a dish to share and an appetite for change.
The Hopkins School students will be volunteering with us all week long. Check our Instagram @nhsofnewhaven for updates on their whereabouts throughout the week!
contact (203)-819-8398 for more information
Celebrate CT Trails Day with Anna Marshall of Connecticut Fund For the Environment -Save the Sound, by walking through the recently opened Pond Lily Preserve and the West River Open Space. The trail is from Pond Lily Preserve to Edgewood Park on the West River Greenway Trail from 10 am - 12:30 pm.The walk starts at 42 E. Ramsdell St.
contact (207)-314-6592 for more information
Join Frank Panzarella and the Bio-Regional Group for a Rain Barrel Workshop at 344 Norton ave from 11 am - 1 pm. You will learn how to install a rain barrel and the many benefits of storm water management installations on your lawn
contact(203)-865-6507 for more information
Stop by Neighborhood Housing Services of New Have for a CT Historic Homes Tax Credit Workshop that is sponsored by the New Haven Preservation Trust. Learn about historical tax credits that may be available to you and how to use them. The event will be held at our Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Lab (333 Sherman Ave Building # 3) from 10 am - 12 pm.
Check out the New Haven Food Truck Festival at Long Wharf Park (555 Long Wharf Drive) from 12 pm - 7 pm. The festival will feature delicious food, live musical performances, and more. The Festival is FREE and open to the public! However, Food, beverage, and some activities are an additional cost.
contact (203)-500-7777 for more information.
Tuesday
Check out Stir the Pot Potluck: an interactive cooking and food education series curated by Nadine Nelson, Global Local Gourmet, in collaboration with the New Haven Food Policy Council. Be sure to come through to this month's potluck where we will be discussing the reading "How Food Can Be a Platform for Activism" over fresh spring rolls! This event will be held at Common Ground High School (358 Springside Avenue) from 5:30 - 7:30 pm.All are welcome! Bring a dish to share and an appetite for change.
The Hopkins School students will be volunteering with us all week long. Check our Instagram @nhsofnewhaven for updates on their whereabouts throughout the week!
Wednesday
Join visual artist and muralist Kwadwo Adae at Whitneyville Cultural Commons (1253 Whitney Avenue) from 6 - 8:30 pm. There will be a presentation on past collaborative mural projects orchestrated by Adae; the upcoming Women's Empowerment Mural currently being installed on the Hamden/Newhallville border of the Farmington Canal Greenway; and a discussion on how we may best utilize public art to support, empower, and connect one another. Light refreshments courtesy of Ninth Square Caribbean Market will be provided.Thursday
Join Doreen Abubakar founder of the Learning Corridor for the weekly Beautification Community Project at the Learning Corridor on Shelton Avenue on the corners of Starr st. and Hazel st. from 5:30 - 7 pm.Friday
Come help Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven Staff celebrate the kick off of Neighborworks Week by working on a women's empowerment mural on the Farmington Canal at 400 Goodrich Street from 9 am - 1 pm with a barbeque at 11 am. Muralist Kwadwo Adae will be leading us in painting, landscaping, and site clean up. Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven will provide tools, water, and food.Saturday
Celebrate CT Trails Day with Aaron Goode of Farmington Canal Rail to Trail Association, Doreen Abubakar, and Kwadwo Adae on a public walk and bike ride exploring community gardens, public art, and historical sites in Newhallville on the Farmington Canal from 1 - 4 pm. The walk starts at the Learning Corridor on Shelton ave at the corners of Starr st. and Hazel st.contact (203)-819-8398 for more information
Celebrate CT Trails Day with Anna Marshall of Connecticut Fund For the Environment -Save the Sound, by walking through the recently opened Pond Lily Preserve and the West River Open Space. The trail is from Pond Lily Preserve to Edgewood Park on the West River Greenway Trail from 10 am - 12:30 pm.The walk starts at 42 E. Ramsdell St.
contact (207)-314-6592 for more information
Join Frank Panzarella and the Bio-Regional Group for a Rain Barrel Workshop at 344 Norton ave from 11 am - 1 pm. You will learn how to install a rain barrel and the many benefits of storm water management installations on your lawn
contact(203)-865-6507 for more information
Stop by Neighborhood Housing Services of New Have for a CT Historic Homes Tax Credit Workshop that is sponsored by the New Haven Preservation Trust. Learn about historical tax credits that may be available to you and how to use them. The event will be held at our Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Lab (333 Sherman Ave Building # 3) from 10 am - 12 pm.
Check out the New Haven Food Truck Festival at Long Wharf Park (555 Long Wharf Drive) from 12 pm - 7 pm. The festival will feature delicious food, live musical performances, and more. The Festival is FREE and open to the public! However, Food, beverage, and some activities are an additional cost.
contact (203)-500-7777 for more information.
Sunday
Celebrate CT Trails Day with Stephanie Fitzgerald of Friends of Edgewood Park, by walking downstream from Edgewood Park to the West River Tide Gates on the West River Greenway Trail from 10 am - 1 pm. The walk will be starting at the northeast end of Olmsted-designed Edgewood Park at the Sunday Farmer's Market
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