'Speed Dating' Event Fosters Relationships Between University and Community Organizations

Representatives from two dozen local organizations connected with students, faculty, staff, and each other, building working relationships and creating opportunities for future collaboration.

October 8, 2019

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Santiago Puerta Garcia '21 M.S., a candidate in the University’s master’s degree program in environmental engineering, is an environmental engineer. Hoping to find research and grant opportunities, he attended the University’s recent Community Partner Speed Dating event, and he says he found what he was looking for.

"This event was very helpful, and I was able to connect with organizations, such as New Haven Land Trust, that do important work in my field," he said. "I appreciate the positive interactions I had and the guidance I received at this event."

"Our goal was to create partnerships with organizations that our honors students can work with. This can lead to internship and service-learning opportunities, and it is a wonderful way to build a sense of community."Lynne Resnick, Honors Program coordinator

Hosted by the University’s Office of Academic Service-Learning, the networking event connects local community organizations with members of the University community. Students, faculty, and staff met with organization representatives to discuss opportunities, such as internships, research, community service, and service learning.

Lynne Resnick, coordinator of the University’s Honors program, wanted to explore opportunities that she could share with students in the program.

"Our goal was to create partnerships with organizations that our honors students can work with," said Resnick. "This can lead to internship and service-learning opportunities, and it is a wonderful way to build a sense of community."

Representatives from a wide array of organizations, including Girl Scouts of Connecticut, New Haven Free Public Library, and the Veterans Support Foundation, discussed their important work in the community. Many of them, including the United Way of Greater New Haven, already had a strong relationship with the University.

"The University of New Haven is great to work with," said Dennis Velasquez, volunteer coordinator at United Way of Greater New Haven. "Students are very engaged and interested in helping the community."

"It’s important to meet people who are doing similar work in the community," added Natosha Wengreen, outreach director for New Haven Reads. "It was a privilege to be a part of this."