Great Things to Know About Manchester CT ~ Manchester Neighborhood Academy
Manchester CT is a small city about ten miles east of Hartford. Manchester CT is home to Manchester Community College, Manchester Memorial Hospital, Buckland Hills Mall, and many local and national businesses.
With a population of over 58,000, there are virtually all types of housing from apartment buildings to condo complexes, and neighborhood housing in all price ranges. Manchester's 6,800 students attend ten elementary schools, one sixth grade academy, one middle school, one high school, one alternate education program and one regional academy.
All cities and towns face challenges and opportunities, and Manchester is no exception. With a full range of businesses, neighborhoods, activities, schools, needs, and issues, it can be challenging to address all of them to the satisfaction of everyone. However, there has been an ongoing effort to connect the citizens of this small city through the hard word of many task forces, such as Better Manchester Coalition, which develops programs for the Manchester Neighborhood Academy.
According to the website, the Manchester Neighborhood Academy is a
community partnership to connect local youths and adults to free educational opportunities in early childhood development, health and safety, community engagement, youth development and family economic success.
Some of the courses offered (free to any resident of Manchester) are:
Financial Ed 101 for Youth: This course uses the Money Smart curriculum and is designed for students in grades 7-12). It starts on October 18 and continues until December 23, 2011 on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Students will learn how to create a budget and how to save money. They will also learn about options for planning for and paying for large future purchases, such as cars, college, and a new home. Anyone will perfect attendance will receive a $25 savings bond from Rockville Savings Bank.
Manchester Government 101: This course began on September 8 and will run through November 17, 2011 on Thursdays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Students will learn the workings of town goverment from various town leaders with the hopes that some will want to become involved in municipal government.
Youth Leadership 101: Project Citizen shows students in grades 6-8 how government works. The course runs from October 6 to December 16 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The goal is the program is to encourage active citizenship and future participation in government.
Mother Daughter Circle: The fall program started on September 8, but two sessions are planned for spring 2012. The purpose of this program is to create support for mother figures and daughters (age 11-16) so that the transition from childhood to young womanhood is a healthy and positive one.
This is just a sample of the types of courses that are offered through Manchester Neighborhood Academy. Please check out the complete list. There are many opportunities to improve individual skills as well as create bonds within neighborhoods and the community.
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