Monthly supporters help young people gain job skills, confidence, mentorship, and pathways to future employment through the Grounds for Change Youth Café.

Corporate and foundation sponsors help expand youth workforce training, entrepreneurship education, paid stipends, and sustainability-focused job pathways for North Hartford youth.

Interested in a larger sponsorship, employee engagement opportunity, youth workforce partnership, or custom collaboration? Contact Executive Director Brenda Watson.

Grounds for Change is a youth-run café and job training program at the Swift Factory in North Hartford. Teens build real workplace skills—customer service, food and beverage prep, teamwork, time management, and entrepreneurship—while earning stipends and receiving mentorship. The café also creates a welcoming community space where neighbors can connect and learn about local resources.

• Paid youth shifts and workplace readiness coaching
• Barista and customer service training
• Entrepreneurship learning (inventory, budgeting, marketing)
• Community events + pop-up café days at Swift
• Connections to job pathways and further training partners