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PUBLIC ALLIES CONNECTICUT

Public Allies is a social justice organization committed to changing the face and practice of leadership by recruiting and training talented young leaders, with a passion for social impact, to create meaningful change in our community. Our Allies are diverse, equity-centered, innovative problem solvers, dedicated to mobilizing community assets to develop solutions to local challenges. In partnership with nonprofit partners, we deliver our nationally recognized, values-driven, results-led apprenticeship to advance our mission to create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it.

Public Allies Connecticut is intentional about recruiting young leaders whose promise and potential are too frequently overlooked, dismissed, or ignored, including young adults aging out of the foster care system; our brothers and sisters who must remake their lives following incarceration; and single mothers seeking a bridge from GED to college and career. They need – and deserve – opportunities like Public Allies to activate their full leadership potential.

Public Allies Connecticut is a program of Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP),  and a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. Our work is made possible through funding from the Connecticut Commission on Community Service and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Public Allies Connecticut

  • 2470 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06605
  • (203) 579-2727

OUR MISSION

To create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it.

WHAT WILL YOU BECOME?

“Public Allies [is] all about promise – finding it, nurturing it, and putting it to use.”

– Former First Lady, Michelle Obama

Core to our values is a belief that we are all on a journey to grow as individuals and as leaders in our community. Where will your journey take you?

Become an Ally
Become a Partner

IN THE NEWS

10 Steps Businesses Can Take To Improve Diversity And Inclusion In The Workforce

Featuring 2013 Public Allies Connecticut Alum Lamar Perry

12.5% of the US population is Black, yet only 3.2% of senior leadership positions are held by Black people. In fact, out of the entire Fortune 500, only 4 CEOs are Black (and they’re men)—that’s a whopping .08%— and as of 2018, there have been 1,974 members of the US Senate, but only ten have been Black.

2013 Public Allies Connecticut Alum Lamar Perry advises to “develop affinity groups within your company which allows participants to speak with other staff of color, at various levels within the organization. The truth is, microaggressions are committed by even the most well-intentioned people and staffers should have access to decompress and share resources within a company-sanctioned safe space.”

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CT Organizations to Share $2.3 Million in State and Federal Grants to Support Community Service

Public Allies, Inc. in Bridgeport will receive $455,760 to support Public Allies Connecticut

Serve Connecticut, the Connecticut Commission on Community Service (CCCS), is awarding $2.3 million in federal AmeriCorps State & National funding to eight Connecticut organizations serving residents and communities across the state.

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New Havener Of The Week

Public Allies Connecticut alum Kerry Ellington leads protests that shut Downtown streets.

When Kerry Ellington first learned that police had shot at two unarmed people in Newhallville, she didn’t hold a press conference. She started organizing.

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MEET AN ALLY: Jermal Muhammad – Public Allies Connecticut

Meet Jermal Muhammad, a second year Member at Public Allies Connecticut. Jermal is Lead College Access Advisor at Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Program (HHYEP) where he has been piloting a citywide FAFSA completion drive in New Haven, Connecticut. When we checked in with Jermal, he had already held 8 FAFSA  workshops and assisted over 150 students to complete their FAFSA forms.

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A Mural Blooms At Junta

At Junta for Progressive Action, clients can now find community resources in a tropical forest. In one corner of the old building, a monarch butterfly and hibiscus flower flourish. Just inches away, a bright parrot settles on Junta’s welcome sign. Flowers dot the path leading inside, splashing the community center with vibrant color.

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Connecticut Public Allies Alum is an Ally for the Homeless

YALE study, conceived and co-edited by Connecticut alum, calls for end to criminalization of homelessness

A new report from Yale Law School — Forced Into Breaking the Law — The Criminalization of Homelessness in Connecticut — aims to stop the criminalization of homelessness in the state of Connecticut. Central to “conceiving, planning, and editing” the report was Nate Fox, tireless homelessness rights advocate and Public Allies alum.

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A second chance breathes new life for a man fresh out of prison

Roland Whitley had spent 9 years in prison, and it wasn’t until he joined Public Allies that he could begin to express his full potential and leadership in Connecticut

Every year about 650,000 people are released from state and federal prisons. Two-thirds of them are rearrested within three years of release, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. When Roland Whitley walked out of prison for the third time recently, having done a total of 9 years on drug charges, he was sure he didn’t want to go back for a fourth time. But it wasn’t easy.

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