About PACK

The Parents and Communities for Kids (PACK) initiative is a collaboration of libraries, museums, arts and cultural institutions and community-based organizations, schools, families and philanthropic and institutional leaders that was created in 2002.

PACK promotes learning in family and community settings in New Haven, Hamden, and Ansonia. It values and supports the parent’s role as their child’s first and best teacher and the community as a classroom.

PACK fosters family participation in activities outside of the traditional school day while promoting learning as a core community value providing fun, interactive and educational activities to families.

PACK Targets

PACK focuses on attracting underserved families that may not have previously participated in out-of-school arts and cultural activities.

PACK Funding PACK provides access to events at low or no cost through a four year grant from the Wallace Foundation, with matching funds provided by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund.

In 2006 PACK received a federal Institute of Museum and Library Services grant to continue the initiative.

What Parents Are Saying Rosaura and Amado Escorbort’s accompany their two daughters to PACK activities offered at the Yale Center for British Art.

“My daughters lacked creativity because we weren’t really giving it to them,” explains Rosaura, “And the PACK program opened up a whole new window for them. And now every time they send us a flyer letting us know that this activity is coming up, we pencil it in to our calendar and we make sure we go.”

In 2006, Matrix Public Health Consultants issued an evaluation of the Greater New Haven PACK initiative, reporting that 1037 families have become PACK members and over 6000 families have participated in PACK activities.

In November of 2005, 81% of PACK families surveyed, reported an improvement in their children’s art and writing skills and an increased sense of confidence.

PACK has evolved to place an importance on planning literacy-rich programming.

For more information about pack visit www.cfgnh.org/page24780.cfm

THE PACK FAMILY LEARNING RESOURCES BOOK

A guide to community classrooms throughout new Haven, Hamden and Ansonia where a parent can be their child's first and best teacher.

Flip the pages you to find out where your family can...play and instrument...create a sculpture...pet an owl...make a family meal...play dominoes...design a story puppet...and come discover creative and educational activities at museums, community centers and libraries. Open the special doors on each page to see families learning together at each PACK classroom.