Blog

As we celebrate the Class of 2025, we want to give a special shout-out to some of our incredible CHER seniors! From leading community-engaged research to building deep partnerships across Hartford, these students have embodied the spirit of collaboration, curiosity, and civic impact. Their work has strengthened the bridge between Trinity and the wider community, and we’re so proud of everything they’ve accomplished during their time with the Center for Hartford Engagement and Research.

Trinity College hosted the 19th Annual Trinity International Hip Hop Festival, organized by students and the faculty advisor of the Trinity Chapter of the Temple of Hip Hop, in collaboration with five dedicated community partners: Khaiim the RapOet, Hydro8sixty, Poptart, G-Whiz, and Jasmin Agosto ’10. This year’s theme, Hip Hop Saved My Life, guided the curation of a deeply immersive experience that brought together the Trinity and Greater Hartford communities.

Educational Programs Expanding at HMTCA, The Liberal Arts Action Lab receives Campus Compact Award, Exploring Hartford Through Videos with CACT 101 and more!

During the Spring of 2022, Jake Loor ‘25, Reese San Diego ‘25, Luka de Faria e Castro ‘25, and Anna Grant-Bolton '25 founded Students Against Mass Incarceration (SAMI) to address a critical gap at Trinity College, the gap between academic learning about mass incarceration and taking action.

Meet Jess Cruz '26! She is not only a part of the Trinity College Garden Groupies but also supports and tutors HMTCA students. Jess involvement in CHER involves community service from working with SINA on Frog Hollow clean ups to tutoring HMTCA students taking Trinity College courses.

Last fall semester, students enrolled in the first year Community Action Gateway 101 (CACT 101) course worked on a semester-long project to support CHER’s Exploring Hartford page by creating interactive videos showcasing key spots students can find in the city.

CHER Leadership Transition Announcement, Fall 2024 Semester in Review, CHER Community Engagement Fellows Strength CHER Partnerships and more!

Happy New Year and welcome to a new semester!  This newsletter highlights CHER’s Fall 2024 semester in review, and provides updates on our work to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships between Trinity and Hartford. We wish Laura Minor all the best as she recently decided to step down from her position as Director of Academic programs at CHER. As sad as we were to see her go, this departure gave us the opportunity here at CHER to do a bit of restructuring to build on the enormous talents of our staff.

Meet Linnea Mayo '26! She wears a lot of hats on campus when it comes to community engagement. From being a Community Engagement Fellow to leading various clubs on campus to taking on multiple CHER programs and Community Learning classes, she has done it all and inspires many to become more involved on and off campus.

During the Fall 2024 semester, Linnea Mayo '26 and Saanvi Bajaj’ '27 served as Community Engagement Fellows for the Center of Hartford Engagement and Research (CHER). As fellows, they aim to inspire Trinity College students to explore Hartford beyond the campus boundaries, foster a sense of community among other CHER students, and advocate for destigmatizing preconceived notions about the city. This semester they have emphasized building long-term community partnerships and relationships within Hartford.