In the summer of each year, the Liberal Arts Action Lab invites Hartford community partners* to submit a 3-paragraph proposal on a question they would like to explore alongside a team of student and faculty researchers from Capital Community College and Trinity College. Examples of past projects are on our website here.  

Submissions are reviewed in September for the upcoming calendar year by the Action Lab team and our Hartford Resident Advisory Board.  Once a project is selected, a representative of the organization must be available to meet with the Liberal Arts Action Lab team at least once a month for about an hour during the semester of the project (either Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday afternoons or Tuesday/Wednesday evenings) at 1 Constitution Plaza in Hartford.  

Upcoming Proposal Deadline:  September 12, 2023

Need some help brainstorming? Here are some questions asked by community partners from previous semesters: 

• Hartford Heritage Project and Hartford History Center asked, “How can we raise awareness about the Talcott Street Congregational Church, the first Black Congregational Church in Hartford and third in the nation?” 
  • Students created an online exhibit on this website, and their recommendations inspired a successful NEH grant application.
• LISC asked, “How can we expand opportunities for home-ownership in Hartford’s North End?”  
  • Students collected data and created this website summarizing their findings.
• SINA asked, “What is the history of Frog Hollow, as told through the voices of its residents?”  
  • Students conducted oral history interviews and took the first steps toward creating a walking tour of the neighborhood. Learn more.

For more information or help developing your proposal, contact Laura Minor, Director of the Action Lab, at Laura.Minor@trincoll.edu.  

 * We define community partners broadly and include non-profit organizations, neighborhood groups, government agencies, social entrepreneurs, and other members of the Hartford community.