Trainings & Events

The Partnership for Strong Communities will host this year’s virtual Connecticut Affordable Housing Conference (CAHC) on November 16 - 17, 2026. The CAHC is our opportunity to convene, collaborate, and drive meaningful change to improve and expand housing affordability, creation, choice, and stability across our state.

The CAHC will span two days, offering a diverse array of sessions tailored to advocates, policymakers, housing and service providers, lenders and funders, and the public. All are welcome. Each year, we spotlight strategies and solutions that help advance the vision that everyone in Connecticut has a safe, stable, affordable home.

The CAHC will conclude with an in-person reception at the Lyceum in Hartford, Connecticut, taking place from 5:30 - 7:30 PM.

At The Partnership, we are dedicated to promoting equitable change in Connecticut’s housing policy landscape. Through coordinated advocacy, expert research, and collaboration with partners, we strive to address historic and ongoing housing injustices and support equitable and resilient communities across our state.
 

This course prepares participants to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges and to provide appropriate initial support to an individual experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.

Participants will learn a 5-step action plan that provides a practical framework for responding to someone who may be experiencing a crisis or developing a mental health or substance use concern. The course builds skills, knowledge, and confidence to assess situations, offer appropriate support, and help individuals connect with professional, peer, social, and self-help resources.

The training emphasizes the importance of early intervention, supportive communication, and reducing stigma surrounding mental health and substance use. Participants will explore how to recognize potential warning signs, respond appropriately to crisis situations, and identify resources that can support an individual’s recovery and well-being.

This is a blended certification course consisting of two components:

• Self-Paced Online Component: Approximately 2 hours of independent learning completed prior to the in-person session. Participants will review foundational concepts and prepare for the instructor-led portion of the course. A post-training evaluation must also be completed as part of the online component. Completion of the evaluation is required to fulfill the online portion of the course and receive the Mental Health First Aid certificate.
   
• In-Person Instructor-Led Component: A 6-hour session that provides opportunities to apply course concepts, practice skills, work through scenarios, and engage with an instructor and other participants.

Participants must complete both the self-paced online component, including the required post-training evaluation, and the 6-hour instructor-led session to receive their Mental Health First Aid certification.

Upon successful completion of both components, participants will receive Mental Health First Aid certification and will have practical tools they can use in their workplaces, communities, and everyday interactions to recognize concerns, provide initial support, and help connect individuals with appropriate resources.
 

We can only collect meaningful survey data if the people we are asking questions to can understand them. For most, this means we need translation. But, knowing you SHOULD translate your survey and knowing HOW to are different things. Which languages do you choose? What are your options for translation? And once responses come back in a language you don’t speak, how do you analyze them?

In this session, guests will hear from someone who has worked to translate surveys, along with community members who will share what worked. By the end of the conversation, you will have a way to decide which languages make sense for you to translate your survey into, steps for getting them translated, and ideas for handling the data once it comes in.
 

Join the Long Island Sound Partnership on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 in Bridgeport, CT for the 5th Annual SRC Workshop – an event focused on building capacity for regional resilience planning in support of sustainable and resilient communities throughout coastal Long Island Sound.

Over the past four years, more than 800 people from across the region have joined virtually for our workshop, and this year will be the first time the event is held in person! A main focus of this year’s workshop will be cultivating discussions on advancing watershed and regional resilience coordination and planning.

View the Draft Agenda

A full agenda is coming soon!

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026

Time: 9:30 AM-5:30 PM

Location: Beacon Hall, Housatonic Community College, 900 Lafayette Boulevard, Bridgeport, CT 06604

Important details:

• There is no cost to attend but registration is required.
• Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
• Travel expense reimbursement of up to $150/person is available on a first-come first-served basis for those who do not have travel budgets through their employers.
• The workshop has a maximum capacity of 140 people – register by November 10 to save your spot!

This event is hosted by the Long Island Sound Partnership, Connecticut Sea Grant, and New York Sea Grant. Contact l[email protected] for any questions.
 

Providing access to radon test kits is an important first step, but getting residents to complete testing and take action based on their results is what ultimately makes a difference in reducing radon exposure and preventing lung cancer. This past year, the American Lung Association conducted a multi-method evaluation of radon test kit distribution programs across the country. This webinar will highlight best practices for developing and implementing comprehensive radon test kit distribution programs that move beyond kit distribution to increase test utilization and support mitigation. Featuring three programs operating at the local, county, and state levels, presenters will share program components that have been effective in their communities, why those approaches work within their unique landscapes, and lessons learned from implementation.

What is radon? Radon is a colorless, tasteless, odorless and radioactive gas that forms naturally and seeps out of the ground almost everywhere, entering buildings like schools and homes.

Who should join? This webinar is designed for any community leader looking to start or enhance radon test kit distribution including state and tribal radon program professionals, public health professionals, environmental health professionals, community-serving organizations and others involved in radon education and lung cancer prevention.

Featured panelists:

• Cynthia Costello, New York State Department of Health
• Ethan Rindfleisch, Steele County Public Health, MN
• Rebecca Cantrell, University of Georgia

This practical training provides staff working within the homeless response system with foundational knowledge and skills to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose and support individuals who may be at increased risk of overdose.

Participants will learn about naloxone, including how it works, when it should be administered, and key considerations for distributing and carrying naloxone in homeless response settings. The training will review common signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and provide guidance on appropriate steps to take when an overdose is suspected, including when and how to access emergency medical assistance.

The session will also introduce risk reduction principles that staff can incorporate into everyday interactions with participants. Participants will explore factors that can increase overdose risk, including changes in tolerance, mixing substances, using alone, and transitions in housing or treatment. The training will emphasize meeting people where they are, providing accurate information, and connecting individuals with appropriate resources without judgment.

Through discussion and practical examples, participants will consider how shelter, outreach, housing, and other homeless response staff can play an important role in increasing access to naloxone, recognizing an emergency, supporting participant safety, and connecting people to additional services and resources.
 

Please join Senior Manager of Clean Transportation Kevin Moss as he joins Sustainable CT to discuss School Bus Fleet Electrification and Public Act 26-63 at the upcoming Sustainable CT virtual Coffee Hour on November 19. This coffee hour will debrief how school districts and school bus operators can utilize Connecticut Green Bank’s Fleet Electrification Accelerator, a no-cost planning program designed to support school districts meet planning and deployment requirements for zero-emission school buses.

School districts interested in learning more about grants and financing opportunities will also hear about both the EPA Clean School Bus Program and accompanying state grant opportunities.

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Thursdays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.
 

Join Fix the Grid for a Demand Reduction Summit on November 19, 2026 (11 AM–3:30 PM) at Manchester Community College, NH.

We know that our current electric grid isn't serving us as well as it could -- parts of our region have some of the highest electric rates in the country. We also know that demand reduction can be a powerful tool for affordability and reliability: if we can meaningfully cut down on energy needs overall and at key hours of the day, we can avoid costly infrastructure investments and strain on the grid.

But right now, we're not tapping into the full potential of demand reduction. We're not incorporating this tool fully in our modeling and forecasting, which means we're not planning for it effectively.

That's why we're bringing together stakeholders, from regional energy officials to residential ratepayers, to address the barriers preventing demand reduction from being scaled across New England. Together, we want to answer the question: "What do we need to be able to fully plan for and leverage demand reduction?" Is it a matter of data, technology, policy, education, all of the above?

We're talking about an $8 billion cost differential across the region based on peak demand projections, and that's no small price tag. Everyday people who are already struggling to pay their bills will be further strained -- that can be avoided if we can tackle this problem.

Attendees will leave with a shared understanding of existing barriers, a documented roadmap to unlock demand reduction’s cost-saving and emissions-reducing potential, and concrete action items assigned by stakeholder.

All participants, regardless of level of technical expertise, are welcome and encouraged to attend! Conversations will be facilitated to allow for all perspectives to inform the outcomes.

Lunch, child care, and Spanish interpretation will be provided.
 

UConn's Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is holding a one-day conference at UConn School of Law in Hartford on Friday, November 20, 2026, to learn about CIRCA's programs.

Agenda

• 8:45 – 9:15: Registration and Coffee
• 9:15 – 9:30: Welcome Remarks
• 9:30 – 9:50: CIRCA Update Presentation
• 9:50 – 10:35: Legislative Implementation Presentations
• 9:50 – 10:00: Resilience Improvement Districts
• 10:00 – 10:10: Stormwater Authorities
• 10:10 – 10:20: Climate Change and Coastal Resilience Reserve Funds –
• 10:20 – 10:35: Question and Answers
• 10:35 – 10:45 Break
• 10:45 – 11:00: Keynote Address
• 11:00 – 12:00: Legislative Panel
• 12:00 – 1:00: Lunch
• 1:00 – 2:10: On the ground and in the Water Panel
• 2:10 – 2:30 – Networking

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Overview Understanding the Law, Implications for Homeless Service Providers, and the Impact on Families Experiencing Homelessness

An estimated 2 million children and youth experience homelessness each year in the United States. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides important rights, protections, and services designed to ensure that children and youth experiencing homelessness have access to educational opportunities and the support they need to succeed.

Under McKinney-Vento, every school district is required to follow the legislation and designate a McKinney-Vento Liaison to support students and families experiencing homelessness. The law focuses on removing barriers to PreK–12 educational access, enrollment, attendance, and academic success for students experiencing homelessness.

This workshop will provide an overview of the McKinney-Vento Act and explore how the law applies to children, youth, families, schools, and community service providers. Participants will learn about the identification and eligibility of students experiencing homelessness, enrollment requirements, the role and responsibilities of McKinney-Vento Liaisons, and the educational rights and protections available to eligible students.

The training will also highlight the importance of collaboration between schools, homeless service providers, and community organizations. Participants will explore how strong community connections and coordinated resources can help address barriers faced by families experiencing homelessness and support positive outcomes for students and their families.
 

The Connecticut Green Bank is convening Councils of Government, municipal staff, community task forces, and state partners for a collaborative forum focused on advancing community-driven solutions in clean energy, resilience, and economic development. Through networking, discussions, and interactive sessions, this event highlights innovative projects and fosters connections to help turn ideas into action across Connecticut communities.

The event will be held on December 8th from 9am-3:30pm at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville, CT. Lunch will be served during the event. When registering, please select your top two choices for a breakout group for the 2:00pm session. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

To secure your spot, please register no later than Novemer 24th. We hope to see you there!
 

Join us on December 9th from 7:30-8:30 pm EST to learn about the Sustainable CT Fellowship Program (https://sustainablect.org/support-for-your-town/sustainable-ct-fellowship-program). We will be discussing the role of a Sustainable CT fellow, how to apply, and discuss your questions.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.
 

Join the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve for a winter walk with historian Joe Baril to learn about the large rail yard called Midway Yard that was built in 1904 at Bluff Point. The yard declined beginning in the late 1920s and was abandoned in 1939 but the turntable pit and the roundhouse foundation remain extant inside the park. The walk will start at Poquonock Bridge Boardwalk and travel through Bluff Point State Park. Registration is required and space is limited. Contact Larissa at ‪(860) 446-7371 or [email protected] to register.
 

Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC) was established in Executive Order 21-3 to provide guidance to the Commissioner of CT's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) on issues related to the state's historic and current environmental injustice and inequities across the state.

The Council convenes quarterly to hear updates from subcommittees and discuss key projects. All Quarterly Meetings are open to the public. If you have questions, please contact [email protected].

Accessibility Needs: The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at (860) 418-5910 or [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any agency hearing, program or event.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Thursdays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.
 

The 2027 Sustainable CT Virtual Equity Training Series is a free, practical, action-focused learning experience designed to help municipal leaders move from equity concepts to confident application in real time. Attendance at all three sessions is required.

Participants will work in regional teams on the real responsibilities of their own roles, and every session ends with each participant holding a finished product they built. This series serves elected officials, director level staff, town clerks, public works directors, and resident commission volunteers, and it welcomes participants at every level of familiarity with Sustainable CT.

Each workshop builds on the one before it, so participants complete the series with a community map, an engagement plan, and a relationship plan ready to use in their own town.

All sessions run from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. on January 14, January 28, and February 4. Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live, interactive training and will NOT be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will actively participate in three different workshops:

January 14 - The Community Map: Every municipal role puts a person in contact with one part of the community, and each of those views is real and partial. Participants map who they hear from, who they see, and who they serve, then set that picture against who lives in their town. Regional teams compare maps and see how a gap that looks like one person’s blind spot often reflects how the town’s systems are built. Participants leave holding a completed community map that names the residents their daily work currently misses.

January 28 - The Engagement Plan: Seeing who is missing raises the question of why, and the answers are usually structural: meeting times, language of notices, and the accessibility of buildings. Participants identify the barriers operating in their own departments and trace how those barriers shape who takes part. They build an outreach plan sized to the budget and authority they already have, and peers in their regional team pressure test each plan. Participants leave holding a written engagement plan addressed to the barriers in their own department.

February 4 – The Relationship Plan: Reaching residents opens a conversation, and the conversation is where trust forms. Participants practice what opens a dialogue and what shuts it down, working in small groups through the moments that most often stop people: an angry resident, a public disagreement between colleagues, and a question with no clean answer. They then decide where these conversations belong in their work over the coming year. Participants leave holding a relationship plan that names the people they will reach, the conversations they will open, and how they will approach them.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.

This webinar series is eligible for Certified Connecticut Municipal Official (CCMO) professional development credit from the CT Conference of Municipalities.
 

The 2027 Sustainable CT Virtual Equity Training Series is a free, practical, action-focused learning experience designed to help municipal leaders move from equity concepts to confident application in real time. Attendance at all three sessions is required.

Participants will work in regional teams on the real responsibilities of their own roles, and every session ends with each participant holding a finished product they built. This series serves elected officials, director level staff, town clerks, public works directors, and resident commission volunteers, and it welcomes participants at every level of familiarity with Sustainable CT.

Each workshop builds on the one before it, so participants complete the series with a community map, an engagement plan, and a relationship plan ready to use in their own town.

All sessions run from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. on March 11, March 25, and April 1. Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live, interactive training and will NOT be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will actively participate in three different workshops:

March 11 - The Community Map: Every municipal role puts a person in contact with one part of the community, and each of those views is real and partial. Participants map who they hear from, who they see, and who they serve, then set that picture against who lives in their town. Regional teams compare maps and see how a gap that looks like one person’s blind spot often reflects how the town’s systems are built. Participants leave holding a completed community map that names the residents their daily work currently misses.

March 25 - The Engagement Plan: Seeing who is missing raises the question of why, and the answers are usually structural: meeting times, language of notices, and the accessibility of buildings. Participants identify the barriers operating in their own departments and trace how those barriers shape who takes part. They build an outreach plan sized to the budget and authority they already have, and peers in their regional team pressure test each plan. Participants leave holding a written engagement plan addressed to the barriers in their own department.

April 1 – The Relationship Plan: Reaching residents opens a conversation, and the conversation is where trust forms. Participants practice what opens a dialogue and what shuts it down, working in small groups through the moments that most often stop people: an angry resident, a public disagreement between colleagues, and a question with no clean answer. They then decide where these conversations belong in their work over the coming year. Participants leave holding a relationship plan that names the people they will reach, the conversations they will open, and how they will approach them.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.

This webinar series is eligible for Certified Connecticut Municipal Official (CCMO) professional development credit from the CT Conference of Municipalities.
 

The 2027 Sustainable CT Virtual Equity Training Series is a free, practical, action-focused learning experience designed to help municipal leaders move from equity concepts to confident application in real time. Attendance at all three sessions is required.

Participants will work in regional teams on the real responsibilities of their own roles, and every session ends with each participant holding a finished product they built. This series serves elected officials, director level staff, town clerks, public works directors, and resident commission volunteers, and it welcomes participants at every level of familiarity with Sustainable CT.

Each workshop builds on the one before it, so participants complete the series with a community map, an engagement plan, and a relationship plan ready to use in their own town.

All sessions run from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 13, May 27, and June 3. Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live, interactive training and will NOT be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will actively participate in three different workshops:

May 13 - The Community Map: Every municipal role puts a person in contact with one part of the community, and each of those views is real and partial. Participants map who they hear from, who they see, and who they serve, then set that picture against who lives in their town. Regional teams compare maps and see how a gap that looks like one person’s blind spot often reflects how the town’s systems are built. Participants leave holding a completed community map that names the residents their daily work currently misses.

May 27 - The Engagement Plan: Seeing who is missing raises the question of why, and the answers are usually structural: meeting times, language of notices, and the accessibility of buildings. Participants identify the barriers operating in their own departments and trace how those barriers shape who takes part. They build an outreach plan sized to the budget and authority they already have, and peers in their regional team pressure test each plan. Participants leave holding a written engagement plan addressed to the barriers in their own department.

June 3 – The Relationship Plan: Reaching residents opens a conversation, and the conversation is where trust forms. Participants practice what opens a dialogue and what shuts it down, working in small groups through the moments that most often stop people: an angry resident, a public disagreement between colleagues, and a question with no clean answer. They then decide where these conversations belong in their work over the coming year. Participants leave holding a relationship plan that names the people they will reach, the conversations they will open, and how they will approach them.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.

This webinar series is eligible for Certified Connecticut Municipal Official (CCMO) professional development credit from the CT Conference of Municipalities.