COMPASS Youth Collaborative

10/16/2026

Happy National Boss's Day to our FEARLESS CEO, Jacquelyn Santiago! We are so grateful for your heart, your dedication, and the way you show up for COMPASS each and every day. Thank you for all you do and the passion you bring to this work!

10/13/2026

A heartfelt thank you to ARI Accounting & Human Resources for recognizing COMPASS as a valued partner for more than 25 years! We’re honored and grateful for a partnership that has stood the test of time.

Thank you for your continued support of COMPASS and our mission. We’re so appreciative of your commitment and look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come!

10/09/2026

Last night, COMPASS was honored to attend the GIFFORDS Celebration of Courage in New York City!

An inspiring evening celebrating the people and organizations working to end gun violence and recognizing the importance of investing in community violence intervention.

We’re proud to be part of this movement, building relationships, interrupting cycles of violence, and creating opportunities for Hartford’s young people to thrive.

Thank you to Giffords for recognizing the critical work happening on the frontlines in communities like ours. Together, we can build safer, stronger communities where every young person has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

10/03/2026

🧡✌🏼

Happy Friday!

I’m so proud of this young lady!

I first met Val earlier this week when I moderated a panel discussion at Dalio Education’s CT Opportunity Project Grantee Partner Convening. Val shared how connecting with COMPASS Youth Collaborative has helped her turn her life around and through a partnership with Forge City Works, she’s now learning the ropes at Fire by Forge in Hartford. Today, I stopped by for lunch and was so happy to see her! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her! 😃

10/02/2026

We’re so proud of our youth, Jadiel and Valerie, for representing COMPASS at the Connecticut Opportunity Project (CTOP) Grantee Partner Convening!

Jadiel and Valerie joined the panel to share their experiences with COMPASS and workforce development in Connecticut, offering their perspectives and helping highlight the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for young people.

A huge thank you to for supporting this important work and creating space for youth voices to be heard. We’re grateful for partnerships that help empower our young people and strengthen pathways to opportunity across Connecticut!

09/23/2026

A sea of orange! 🧡

Our COMPASS team was proud to join more than 400 people from 120+ organizations at the 2026 New England Streetworker Conference at Gillette Stadium last Friday.

From streetworkers and violence interrupters to young people, community leaders, and partners from across New England, the day was filled with learning, connection, and reminders of why this work matters.

There is so much strength in coming together with people who understand this work and who are committed to creating safer communities and better opportunities for young people.

09/08/2026

A huge thank you to the Hartford Yard Goats Foundation!

We are incredibly grateful to the Hartford Yard Goats Foundation and their 2026 Young Ambassador graduates. These amazing high school students spent eight weeks in a leadership program where they planned a T-shirt fundraiser and chose COMPASS to receive 100% of the proceeds! We were absolutely honored to join them on September 4th for a special check presentation while meeting some of their incredible youth. Thank you, Hartford Yard Goats Foundation, for investing in our community's youth and supporting our mission to empower young people in Hartford. Your generosity means the world to us!

09/03/2026

So proud to see our very own Larry Love representing COMPASS at CAGV's first Action Team Meeting of the Fall! Larry has such an important perspective to share and we know this will be a powerful conversation.

We're back with the first Action Team Meeting after our summer break!

Join us Tuesday, September 8 at 7 PM via Zoom for another engaging evening with our community. We’re honored to welcome Larry Love, Director of Hospital and Crisis Response at COMPASS Youth Collaborative, one of our treasured partners in Connecticut’s gun violence prevention ecosystem.

Please join the Zoom to hear from Larry about his lived experience and work at COMPASS, and get updates on CAGV's many upcoming fall events and the latest legislative news.

Register here: https://heyor.ca/a5b3NQ

08/24/2026

There are moments that can change the direction of a young person’s life.

A conversation.
A relationship.
Someone who shows up.
A second chance.
A choice to take a different path.
Most of those moments never make the news.
But they matter.

At COMPASS, we believe that every young person deserves a way forward. Every day, our team works alongside young people to build relationships, create opportunities, and help them navigate the challenges that can change the course of their lives.

This is what prevention looks like.

It isn't always dramatic. Sometimes, it is simply a young person making a different choice because COMPASS was there.

This year, we are inviting you to look at violence prevention differently.

Not through fear.
Not through statistics alone.
But through possibility.

Because when young people find their way, Hartford moves forward.

Over the coming months, we'll share the moments, relationships and possibilities that show what's working in Hartford.

We hope you'll follow along, and find your place in the way forward.

Learn more: https://compassyc.org/

07/22/2026

We are incredibly honored to have represented COMPASS Youth Collaborative at the Giffords Center for Violence Intervention conference, where we proudly accepted the Lifesaving Service Award on behalf of our entire team and the young people we have the privilege of serving.

Over the past few days, we attended powerful sessions, listened to insightful plenaries, and connected with both new and longtime partners & friends from across the country who are committed to building safer, stronger communities.

This recognition belongs to every staff member, partner, and young person who reminds us each day that violence prevention is rooted in relationships, opportunity, and hope. We leave inspired, energized, and even more committed to this work.

Thank you to Giffords for this incredible honor, and to everyone working every day to create communities where every young person has the chance to thrive. 🧡
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