To better shape our workshops to the needs of our target participants, the library carried out a series of dialogues with participants in the East Hartford School Business Partnership program.  The dialogues were conducted during the lunch wave at school and those who participated were given free special lunches. Recent graduate recruited to attend were eligible to receive a gift card donated by East Hartford CONNects, a Working Cities initiative.As a result, adjustments were made to workshop content, scheduling, and communication with partners. The pandemic required a shift from in-person to zoom workshops.

The project manager collaborated with key project partners to prepare the curriculum and presentations. A staff person at East Hartford Public Schools recruited a team from a Glastonbury business group to conduct mock interviews for job-seeking participants.  East Hartford CONNects staff recruited presenters on “Training and Certification”, “Financial Literacy,” and “Building a Professional Network.” A partner from the Liberty Bank assembled a team of colleagues to conduct the “Credit for Life Fair.”   East Hartford Youth Services created a workshop on workplace conflict and communication, involving a young social work student whose age would make participants more comfortable sharing experiences.