City of Hartford Interns

Hello everyone! This is Randi. I recently had the amazing opportunity to join Troy, Karina, and Amar for a tour of the “secret” 4th floor and basement of City Hall, and it was such a blast! It felt like stepping into a museum.

Here are some of my favorite highlights:

Ordinance Book📖: The picture of the cursive writing showcases an ordinance book from the late 1800s.

Insurance Book📖: The large open book with pink boxes is an insurance book detailing the properties and streets of Hartford.

Laboratory Door👩‍🔬: The door you see used to lead to a laboratory where tuberculosis was tested and studied.

Grateful Dead Merchandise🎤: The cartoonish male figures are from merchandise at a Grateful Dead concert in the 1970s, and I even got to keep the pink stinker!

Carrie Saxon Perry's Hat🎩: My absolute favorite is the hat that belonged to Carrie Saxon Perry, Hartford’s first Black female mayor! I felt like a fan girl holding onto a piece of history. I first learned about her from my mom, who always celebrates Black History Month and shares important facts about Black history at the schools she worked at, with Mayor Perry being a prominent figure.

I am incredibly grateful for this fellowship experience. I've learned so much, met fantastic people, made valuable connections, and created unforgettable memories.

This is Randi Nelson signing off. Wishing everyone a wonderful rest of your summer!💐🤎✨

Hi everyone! Karina here.

Once again, another amazing event was hosted at Bushnell Park, the West Indian Celebration! The food was delicious, the music was great, and the vibes were immaculate. So much enriching culture and community banding together all in one historically beautiful and inviting location, Bushnell Park.

This is my last week here in the marketing and special events department. It has been a pleasure working with Shannon and Leslie along with everyone else in our office space! Nothing can beat a working environment such as this one. Lots of kindness, laughs, great conversations, and connections made.

I will always be appreciative of this fellowship opportunity as it has helped me grow and connect with amazing people. Thank you City of Hartford!!💚

Hey everyone, Amar here!

Sad to say this the last week of my internship with the City of Hartford, it's genuinely been such an enriching experience in pushing me to try new things, further develop and experiment with my skills, and much more.

It's been such a privilege to be able to work with everyone here, big shout out to Taneisha Duggan first and foremost, shout out to the other interns both inside and outside of our office, shout out to Shannon, Leslie, WiFi creative, Gabby, Shay, the Mayor, shout out everyone that's had a hand in helping me to grow over the past ten weeks.

All that's left now is to wrap up on a few more projects, a big presentation tomorrow, and hopefully a good lunch on Friday haha.

That's all folks, have a great rest of your summers!

Hello everyone, this is Randi!

This summer, I had the pleasure of attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new business, several press conferences, and a bill signing. It’s been an amazing experience to get a behind-the-scenes look at what often makes the news and to gain a deeper understanding of how these initiatives are developed and shared with the public.

The most recent event I attended was the signing of Bill HB 7084. To learn more about it, check out the Hartford Office of Violence Prevention on Facebook or Instagram, or visit the Connecticut House Democrats website.

🔗https://www.housedems.ct.gov/dillon/rep-dillon-firearm-industry-responsibility-act-signed-law

Hi Michael here,
This is my last day working as an intern at city hall this summer, which has been a great opportunity! Thank you to everyone who I’ve had the pleasure to work with and meet during my time here. I have been lucky to help with a lot of awesome things in my short time here, including the Mayor’s Day Out event at the Hartford Athletic game this Wednesday. I had a great time working this event with sports and rec, marketing, and my fellow interns. Great way to wrap up a great summer and be on the look out for more Hartford Days events!

Join me on site at Bushnell Park!

I’m happy to see the process of bushnell’s man-made pond take shape. Through my internship and time living in Hartford , I’ve had the chance to watch this project grow under the amazing leadership of Nyicia George. Her hard work and dedication are unmatched, this project is truly her baby, and it shows in every detail. It’s inspiring to see how thoughtful design and community care come together to shape a space. I’m happy to see the process of bushnell’s man-made pond take shape. Through my internship and time living in Hartford , I’ve had the chance to watch this project grow under the amazing leadership of Nyicia George.

Hi Everyone! Karina here. Don’t forget, there are plenty of events happening in Hartford this month. Take a look at the August calendar from the City of Hartford’s marketing department!☀️

What is still happening? Take a look below!

Monday Night Jazz on August 11th at Bushnell Park

Mayor’s Day Out on August 6th at Trinity Health Stadium

Hopgood/Lord Music Series August 7th, 14th, and 21st at Bushnell Park

West Indian Celebration on August 9th in Downtown Hartford

Sunset Sounds on August 14th at Butler-McCook House & Garden

Pratt Street Social on Agust 22nd on Pratt Street

Hartford Dance Festival on August 23rd at Bushnell Park

Hartford is where you should be this summer! Come explore and enjoy the entertainment, culture, and good vibes!

🫣

🌟 Hey everyone, it’s Randi! 🌟

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to attend a few press conferences highlighting the exciting activities available for Hartford residents, especially our youth!

One program I want to spotlight is Hartford Night Gyms, a FREE evening sports and activities initiative running at four locations across the city:

📍 Weaver High School
📍 Achievement First
📍 Sports and Medical Sciences Academy
📍 Naylor School

🕓 Open Monday through Friday, 4 PM – 8 PM
📅 Now through August 15th – only 2 weeks left!

Youth can enjoy a variety of activities like:
🏀 Basketball
🏐 Volleyball
⚽ Soccer
🏃 Track
💃 Dance
🎨 Arts & Crafts

It was also so meaningful to reconnect with my former gym teacher, Brian Gallagher, who is now the Director of Sports & Recreation for the City of Hartford. I’ve known him since I was 9 years old when I participated in Soccer Saturdays and Saturday Hoopsters. He was my gym teacher for 7 years, and now, as a City of Hartford intern, I get to witness him lead these amazing initiatives firsthand. Full circle moment!

Let’s spread the word and keep Hartford youth engaged, active, and inspired this summer! 🌞🏀🎨

A Successful Step Forward: Bushnell Garden Preliminary Design Presentation

This week’s design presentation for Bushnell Garden on Gold Street, Hartford marked a significant milestone in transforming the space into a welcoming, historically grounded, and beautifully designed public garden.

The design team emphasized natural light, enhanced paving textures, and a continued commitment to keeping the lawn as a central gathering space, evoking the spirit of Bushnell Park. Thoughtful planting in strategic corners will create soft, inviting edges and a natural blush throughout the garden.

Key highlights included the integration of shade trees, a stair feature that invites people to enter and rest along the garden edge, and proposed art locations that reflect both conceptual creativity and historical significance, particularly at the apex of the sidewalks and along Gold Street’s storied path.

Importantly, this presentation reflected the voices of the community. Feedback was thoughtfully integrated, making it clear that this space will be beautifully designed.

Thank you to: Nyicia George and Julia Jack!