The Center for Montessori Studies at the University of Hartford is pleased to share that the Simpson-Waverly Community Hub Project Team has been awarded a $194,192 grant from the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation (formerly the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving). The grant will support pre-development work for the Simpson-Waverly Community Hub, including conceptual design, project budgeting, and continued community engagement. The hub will be located in the former Simpson-Waverly School building, which closed in 2018, and is part of a collaborative public-private effort to bring vital resources and services back to Hartford’s Northeast neighborhood.
Through its role as fiscal sponsor, the Center for Montessori Studies is proud to partner with local organizations and residents working to reimagine the site as a comprehensive human development hub. Director Paige M. Bray joined the project team in 2024 and has helped connect the work of the hub with the Center’s community-engaged initiatives, including the NIMBLE (Nee Intergenerational Montessori for Belonging and Learner-centered Education). The intergenerational offerings were co-constructed by Bray, Russell Reim MEd'14, EdD ‘24 and MEd alumni Rachel Elkey’15 and Teng-Chein Yu ‘25.
Together with partners such as Community First School and Build A Better You Family Services, the Center continues its commitment to working alongside neighbors to support learning, belonging, and community wellbeing for children, families, and residents across North Hartford.