New Haven Promise Builds Talent Pipeline

Now 15 years old, New Haven Promise has become an engine of economic opportunity for local young people. The program has provided 3,250 students with scholarships to Connecticut public colleges and universities and secured 1,353 internship placements, 70% of which went to first-generation college students. Three quarters of Promise Scholars are returning to New Haven where 8 out of 10 have a full-time job within a year of graduating college. More than half of the scholars have higher incomes than their parents. 

The Community Foundation has supported Promise since the beginning, providing more than $3.5 million in grants, and donors with funds at The Community Foundation have contributed an additional $400,000.  This represents The Foundation’s largest programmatic funding commitment since it was co-created in 2010 with the City of New Haven.

Level Up for Success is one example of how Promise tailors its programming to meet students where they are. The program supports young women preparing to enter the workforce, with funding from the Community Fund for Women & Girls. More than a third of its participants have secured either paid internships or employment. 

The program was designed by Eliaris Brito Castillo, herself a Promise scholar and graduate. Over the course of four workshops in 2025, participants identified career goals and charted their progress. One workshop was hosted at J. Crew, where styling tips were offered in advance of an internship fair.

“I felt like I had autonomy to create my own program and really bring to life the things that I already was doing when I was on campus,” says Brito Castillo. 

Originally designed for 50 participants, the program has expanded to meet the interest of 125 applicants, all of whom were accepted. At the J. Crew event, Brito Castillo felt the impact of the program and her efforts in helping shape it.

“It felt really rejuvenating and exciting for me to know that it's all coming to fruition and that they're all building these connections and taking advantage of this opportunity.”