Call Center Company in Bridgeport, CT

Ashley Canto, a teacher at Central High School in Bridgeport, expressed a sense of pride when sharing that she recently graduated from a teacher residency program at Sacred Heart University, called Teachers@Heart.

The program equips undergraduate students with the various skills needed to foster a successful career as a teacher, specializing in working with students in high-need school districts, where teacher retention is low, such as Bridgeport and Stamford.

Canto was disappointed to learn that the U.S. Department of Education recently withdrew more than $3 million in federal funding to the program through the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant.

She called it a “heartbreaking” loss that will largely affect teacher retention and burnout in urban settings.

“Especially in Bridgeport, we have a [substitute teacher] shortage,” Canto said. “People are out, and we have kids going to the cafeteria because we don’t have enough people to cover classrooms.”

The U.S. Department of Education informed the university through a letter in February that the Teachers@Heart program no longer met the goals of the department, according to René Roselle, the program's principal investigator.

Roselle said the letter included mention of recent DEI cutbacks from the Trump Administration.

The revocation in funding comes amid increasing student interest in the Teachers@Heart program.

From Jan. 13 to March 3, at least 125 people expressed interest in the program, according to Roselle. She says this is the highest level of interest in teacher education she has seen in 20 years.

In the program, student residents are introduced to a class of students at the beginning of the academic year, presented as a co-teacher alongside a teacher mentor.

Beginning in January, student residents take over the classroom full-time.

“The residency program prepares you a lot better because you are alongside your mentor teacher on day one in the classroom,” said recent program graduate Matthew Librandi.

“By the time the winter rolls around … you’ve already been in the classroom with the kids, you built relationships that [in] traditional student teaching you don’t get to experience,” Librandi said.

Librandi currently teaches seventh grade at Jettie S. Tisdale Middle School in Bridgeport.

Sacred Heart still has plans to run Teachers@Heart, but without the grant, Roselle said the school can only provide “limited district funded stipends and tuition support, which will make the program unfeasible for most.”

Along with assistance on teacher retention, the Teacher Quality Partnership grant provided tuition benefits and a living stipend, which covers food, housing and other basic expenses for participants.

Librandi and Roselle said these inclusions allow teacher residents to better focus on their career preparation without having to worry about other expenses.

Canto told her students about Teachers@Heart and recommended it to anyone pursuing education in college. After hearing the news of its funding cut, one of Canto’s students asked if the program would be unavailable to her in the future.

“It’s getting people interested in their future, but also, like, you really can’t replace the experience it gives you,” Canto said.

Without this grant, Librandi believes many potential teachers will be deterred from the profession.

“Not having that [support] is going to make teaching less attractive to many people,” he said.

Librandi and Canto agree that it is important to foster young educators into these under-supported environments. Librandi thinks high-need districts are a great place to learn teaching through multifaceted experiences.

Teachers@Heart program was created in 2019 and launched its first student cohort in Bridgeport in 2021. Last year, it expanded to Stamford Public Schools with a program called Para Pioneers.

It addressed high-need areas in Stamford schools such as special education, science and math, adding that the district just started to gain momentum.

Charmaine Tourse-Davis, director of talent, recruitment and retention at Stamford Public Schools, called the cuts to federal funding, “especially disappointing.”

“When you have that kind of a model, I can tell you that it was quite a blow,” Tourse-Davis said.

Since President Donald Trump took office, more than 1,300 U.S. Department of Education workers have been laid off.

“This leaves the department to roughly half of its workforce, which is responsible for enforcing civil rights laws in schools, supplying student loans and grants and tracking student achievement,” according to NPR.

Currently, Teachers@Heart is seeking alternative funders to keep the program alive. The program’s original funder offered a $60,000 challenge grant that matches donations dollar-for-dollar.

Roselle said the grant allotted 20 teaching spots in the program.

Without a funding cut, Teachers@Heart would have assisted 80 new teachers enter the profession in the next five years.

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The Killers and Hozier have been tapped to headline this year's Soundside music festival in Bridgeport's Seadside Park. The festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 27, and Sunday, Sept. 28.

The Killers will headline the first night of the festival while Hozier will close out the event on Sunday. Joining The Killers on Saturday are Weezer, Djo (Joe Keery who plays Steve on Netflix's "Stranger Things"), Japanese Breakfast, The Last Dinner Party, Inhaler, Rachel Chinouriri, Wild Rivers, Hollow Coves and Dipsea Flower.

In addition to Hozier, Vampire Weekend, The Backseat Lovers, Remi Wolf, Chelsea Cutler, Alex Warren, Gigi Perez, Brenn!, Vundabar and Happy Landing will be performing on Sunday.

This year marks a return to the festival for Hozier, who, like Noah Kahan last year, previously performed at Sound on Sound and is returning to headline the festival.

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This is the fourth year of the festival and its second year operating under the name Soundside after changing its name last year from Sound on Sound. Founders Entertainment, which previously had a major role in organizing Sound on Sound, combined with C3 Presents, an event production company owned by Live Nation. Last year was the first edition of the festival operated by C3 Presents.

Previous artists that have performed at the Bridgeport festival include John Mayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews, Stevie Nicks, Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers and Jack White. Last year's lineup was shaken up only weeks before it was set to kick off when Foo Fighters announced its exit from the lineup. White and Greta Van Fleet were the replacement acts.

Ticket pricing for Soundside

Tickets for the Soundside music festival are available through an SMS pre-sale that takes place on Thursday, April 3 from 10-11 a.m. Citi card members can also take advantage of a pre-sale, which is available now. Ticket prices will increase when remaining tickets go on sale to the general public at 11 a.m.

Available ticket tiers this year are both one and two-day general admission (GA), GA+, VIP and Bleacher tickets. Bleacher tickets are new for 2025 and give those ticket holders access to new "bucket seating with prime views of the main stage." This area is first-come, first-serve, according to a news release.

Prices are as follows:

Single-day GA: $165

Single-day GA+: $325

Single-day Bleacher: $399

Single-day VIP: $449

Two-day GA: $249

Two-day GA+: $549

Two-day Bleacher: $699

Two-day VIP: $799

Parking: Starts at $59. Parking is available in Seaside Park (West Parking), the Remington shaver site (East Parking) and Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater (North Parking). ADA parking is also available.

Layaway plans are available for $25 down.

Bridgeport residents are eligible for a 15% discount on their passes. Military, first responders, medical services and educators are eligible for $10 off on two-day GA Tickets and $5 on one-day GA passes through Soundside's partnership with GOVX. Students and recent graduates can also save $10 off on two-day GA Tickets and $5 on one-day GA passes.

March 31, 2025

The Soundside music festival has announced its return to Bridgeport this fall. The event will run Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28, the festival announced on Thursday.

Taking over Seaside Park the last weekend in September, this is the festival’s fourth iteration since launching in 2022. Initially put on as the Sound on Sound music festival, the festival changed its name to Soundside last year following a change in leadership.

Over its past three years, the festival has featured the likes of John Mayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews, Stevie Nicks and The Lumineers. Last year’s headliners were Noah Kahan, who returned after performing at the first Sound on Sound, and Jack White and Greta Van Fleet, who were tapped to co-headline the Sunday following a cancellation from the Foo Fighters.

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The festival teased that its 2025 lineup and ticketing information will be released on Monday, March 31.

Last year’s festivities broke the festival's attendance record with 57,000 music fans descending on the city of Bridgeport.

March 27, 2025

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Bridgeport|Local Event

The Klein, Neighbor

Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM

The Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, CT, 06605

More info here

The #1 Taylor Swift DJ in the country!

This is a great opportunity to meet other Taylor Swift fans & likeminded people and enjoy the incredible catalog of music she has created.

Known for creating an electric atmosphere, DJ Swiftie’s sets are a celebration of Taylor Swift's iconic tracks, from chart-topping anthems to deep cuts and fan favorites.

$25 in advance / $30 day of show / $50 VIP (includes early entry, 1 foam glow wand & 1 signed show poster)

Tickets at theklein.org

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Patch and T-Mobile are teaming up to celebrate future leaders in Connecticut.

Alfred Branch, Patch Staff

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Students from Bassick High School’s Tango Flight program took to the skies last summer in a two-seat plane they spent nearly three years constructing, marking a milestone for the aviation education initiative.

Patch and T-Mobile are teaming up to showcase future leaders in Connecticut and across the nation.

The flights took place at Three Wing Aviation, based at Sikorsky Memorial Airport, where students, accompanied by family, mentors, and school officials, watched as the aircraft completed its flights. Representatives from Bridgeport Public Schools were also present for the occasion.

Each student received an opportunity to ride in the plane, a Van's RV-12, which was built from a kit.

Tiany Perez, a 2023 graduate who participated in the program, was among those who helped build the aircraft. Inspired by her experience, she pursued a job at Three Wing Aviation working on the line crew.

Find out what's happening in Bridgeportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“Growing up, I didn’t think this was an opportunity that was possible for me,” Perez said. “When I started working at Three Wing, that’s when the aviation world really opened up for me. This is the life I want to live.”

Steve Blume, an auto shop teacher who guided students through the program, emphasized the career benefits of the experience.

“When they finish the program, the students get certified in sheet metal, riveting, drilling—all the skills they learned when building this plane,” Blume said. “And they can get hired right away with those certificates.”

The Tango Flight program at Bassick High School was established by Aaron Hollander, CEO of First Aviation Services Inc. Hollander piloted the aircraft for its flight, guiding students on a route within a 10-mile radius of the airport and along the Long Island Sound.

“I’ve had a love of aviation for my whole life, and I just felt it was a great way to expose the students,” Hollander said. He discovered the Tango Flight program when it was being implemented at select schools, primarily magnet and STEM-focused institutions. He later worked with the governor’s office and Bridgeport Board of Education to bring the program to Bassick, making it the first Tango Flight initiative at an inner-city school.

The program provides students with the materials, tools, and guidance necessary to construct an operational aircraft. Three Wing Aviation assisted throughout the process, including performing final inspections to ensure the plane met Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

“For me, it doesn’t matter if the students go into aviation,” Hollander said. “Regardless of what they do, if they can get the exposure and think beyond the borders of Bridgeport, that was my goal.”