Dear friend,

Welcome to your Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work.

Last week, I attended a youth empowerment program hosted by Naugatuck and Stamford High Schools. The day was full of activities aimed at building the next generation of leaders in Connecticut. Additionally, I completed a facility tour of the Connecticut State Tunxis Community College Early Childhood Center in Farmington. I also participated in“What’re the Facts? Stay Informed and Empowered”, a webinar series convened by the Connecticut Education Association (CEA).

More from the week: I met with student representatives of the Junior Newtown Action Alliance and attended a ceremony recognizing the efforts of students at Cornwall Consolidated School. Also, I attended a ribbon cutting and naming ceremony for the Neil O’Leary Building, the latest expansion of the University of Connecticut (UConn) Waterbury campus. My office also hosted our 5th Passport Day in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State (DOS).

I am also including an update on the 2025 Congressional Art Competition Showcase, which is on exhibit at the Mattatuck Museum through Sunday, May 4, 2025.

For my full recap, please read below.

Next Generation Leaders

Representatives from Naugatuck High School reached out to my office to share their work on a female empowerment program in collaboration with Stamford High School, aimed at inspiring the next generation of leaders.

The students invited me to speak about my journey to Congress, my work as the Representative for the Fifth District of Connecticut, and the importance of continued civic engagement.

It was great to see the event come together, with over 175 students in attendance. The day also featured student breakout sessions focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM), leadership, health and wellness.

Thank you to the student leaders, faculty, and staff of both high schools for having me.

Tunxis Community College Early Childhood Center

On Monday afternoon, I completed a facility tour of the Connecticut State Tunxis Community College Early Childhood Center in Farmington. The Early Childhood Center Lab School provides a quality program for preschool children and serves as a model lab school for the Early Childhood Associate degree program.

Preschool children can attend classes at the Early Childhood Center while Tunxis student parents attend courses.

Student parents often face significant hurdles in pursuing higher education, and the lack of accessible childcare is a major contributor to their struggle. The declining availability of on-campus childcare exacerbates these difficulties, especially at community colleges.

I introduced the Preparing and Resourcing Our Student Parents and Early Childhood Teachers (PROSPECT) Act to expand access to high-quality early childhood care at community colleges and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).

My legislation provides free, high-quality infant and toddler care for student parents at participating colleges while also investing in the childcare workforce to ensure we have well-prepared educators. Additionally, the PROSPECT Act expands access to childcare subsidies and ensures students have clear information about financial aid options for childcare expenses.

Additional information on the PROSPECT Act is available here.

What're the Facts: Stay informed and empowered

I also joined over 140 members of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) for their biweekly webinar series, "What're the Facts? Stay informed and empowered".

The virtual event focused on the importance of educators using authentic teacher voices in advocacy efforts, educating the public on what the Department of Education actually does for schools across the country, and finding ways to support local education efforts.

Meeting with Junior Newtown Action Alliance (NAA)

Students in the Junior Newtown Action Alliance (NAA) have transformed tragedy into meaningful change.

I met with the group on Tuesday to discuss legislative efforts that will reduce gun violence, promote school safety, and health and healing for survivors.

I introduced the Safer Neighborhood Gun Buyback Act this month alongside Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) and Rep. Wesley Bell (MO-01). This legislation would invest $360 million in grant funding to establish state and local gun buyback programs to help prevent gun violence, remove unwanted firearms from communities nationwide, and empower local safety efforts. 

Learn more about the Safer Neighborhood Gun Buyback Act here.

Honoring Naomi Cain Freeman in Cornwall

A history assignment sparked the interest of a group of seventh graders at Cornwall Consolidated School.

After reading about Naomi Cain Freeman, an enslaved woman who lived in Cornwall, gained her freedom, and became the first Black woman to own land in the town, they decided to do more research. The students used artificial intelligence to render images of what Freeman would look like; they worked with historians, nonprofits, and archeologists to fill the gaps in her story and attended a Board of Selectman meeting to petition First Selectman Gordon Ridgeway and the board to rename a street in her honor. 

On Thursday, I attended a ceremony to celebrate their efforts and rename a section of Great Hollow Road to Naomi Freeman Historical Road.

At a time when the history and contributions of African Americans are being erased, Cornwall remains a diverse, accepting, and inclusive community even 200 years later.

The story of Naomi Cain Freeman will continue to be told for generations to come, thanks to the work of these awesome students.

UConn Waterbury

Great things continue to unfold in Waterbury. For more than 70 years, the University of Connecticut (UConn) Waterbury campus has opened doors for thousands of students.

On Thursday, I was joined by representatives from UConn, the City of Waterbury, and state and local leaders to officially unveil the Neil O’Leary Building. The building will be home to expanded nursing and allied health programs and is named in honor of one of the strongest supporters of education in the city, former Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary.

Congratulations to Mayor O’Leary and the University of Connecticut on this expansion. I look forward to continuing to support efforts that open doors to educational access for students in Waterbury and across Connecticut.

Passport Day

We did it again! On Sunday, my office partnered with the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the City of Waterbury to host our 5th Passport Day. In 3 hours, we processed more than 150 applications.

I especially want to thank the Department of State. With limited staff, we were still able to make this a successful event.

If you were not able to attend the event and still need assistance with a passport, be on the lookout for future dates when we will host similar events.

2025 Congressional Art Competition Showcase

The submissions are in and on display!

Students all across the Fifth have submitted artwork for the 2025 Congressional Art Competition. Nearly 200 submissions have been received.

On Thursday, I viewed the artwork on display at a special exhibit hosted by the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury.

All are welcome to view the exhibit now through Sunday, May 4th.  

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. Please be assured I will continue to advocate for your priorities.

Jahana Hayes
Member of Congress