Established as part of the 101 College Street Development and Land Disposition Agreement (DLDA), the $200,000 fund will provide college scholarships for students from the Hill, Dwight, and Downtown neighborhoods enrolled in bioscience and STEM programs at Gateway Community College and the BioPath program at Southern Connecticut State University.
NEW HAVEN, CT – On Tuesday, January 31st, New Haven Economic Administration Michael Piscitelli joined 101 College Street developer Carter Winstanley, New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Iline Tracey, Gateway Community College CEO William T. Brown, Southern Connecticut State University President Joseph Bertolino, Alder Ron Hurt, and other city, community, and education officials at Hill Career Regional High School to announce the Together We Grow / 101 College Street Scholarship Fund. (The press conference can be viewed in its entirety here.)
Established by the Board of Alders as part of the Development and Land Disposition Agreement (DLDA) between the City of New Haven, the New Haven Parking Authority, and WE 101 College Street LLC, the $200,000 fund will provide college scholarships to students living in the Hill, Dwight, and Downtown neighborhoods. The fund will provide up to $3,000 per year for up to two years to students enrolled in bioscience and STEM-related programs at Gateway Community College (GCC), and up to $5,000 a year for up to four years for students enrolled in BioPath program at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU).
“New Haven is already a growing hub for bioscience and biotechnology, and this scholarship program will help ensure that the next generation of homegrown researchers, scientists, and STEM professionals can continue their education at our local colleges and universities and then go on to get a good-paying job at our local businesses,” said Mayor Justin Elicker. “This partnership is a testament to what communities can do when they work in partnership and commit to a thoughtful strategy of inclusive growth and how it can be a catalyst for systemic change and opportunity.”
WE 101 College Street, LLC is the corporate entity of Winstanley Enterprises, LLC that developed 101 College Street, a $250 million state-of-the-art life sciences building that is expected to be completed later this year. According to Winstanley Enterprises, “The 525,000 square-foot, ten story lab building will be anchored by Connecticut-bred life science companies including Arvinas (NASDAQ: ARVN), Alexion Pharmaceuticals (subsidiary of AstraZeneca), and Yale University. Additionally, the building includes a 48,000 square foot, world-class Biolabs incubator to foster life sciences start-up companies in Connecticut.”
101 College Street is also a key element of the City of New Haven’s Downtown Crossing economic development initiative, a multi-phase project that’s transforming the old Route 34 corridor from an expressway into a walkable, bikeable cluster of urban boulevards connecting Downtown New Haven to surrounding neighborhoods with work, entertainment, food, and residential and transit options. Over time, the district has emerged as a destination for life science research and development of national significance.
“This scholarship is one part of a larger effort to create access to jobs in the bioscience industry in New Haven,” Carter Winstanley said. “Winstanley Enterprises, LLC is working closely with City staff, New Haven Public Schools System, Southern Connecticut State University, and Gateway Community College to create an educational program, and a learning environment where students are welcomed into 101 College Street and immersed in the science taking place there. We want students to have the training, education, and comfort of working and collaborating with the world class science professionals in this industry. We are very proud of our continued involvement and investment in the future of the City.”
New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Iline Tracey expressed appreciation for the efforts of City leaders, Winstanley Enterprises, and the many educational and community organizations involved in the initiative.
“We are fortunate to have neighbors eager to help our students pursue college,” Superintendent Tracey said. “We are grateful for the generosity of Winstanley Enterprises, the New Haven Board of Alders and Mayor Justin Elicker for their help bringing the scholarship program to fruition, as well as to the New Haven Scholarship Fund, New Haven Works, and the Community Fund of Greater New Haven for their crucial support. They say it takes a village to raise a child; we are blessed to have a city that is indeed that kind of village.”
William T. Brown, PhD, CEO of Gateway Community College added, “Make no mistake: the Together We Grow / 101 College Street Scholarship fund will be a gamechanger for students who want to enter biopath and STEM fields at Gateway and at Southern. Beyond the financial support—which is critical for so many of our residents—the scholarship is a powerful statement that we believe in our city’s young people and that we’re prepared to invest in your long-term success.”
SCSU President Joseph Bertolino, PhD, praised the partnership and support.
“Access and opportunity are at the heart of SCSU’s social justice mission and, as the public university of New Haven and the Southern Connecticut region, creating and sustaining partnerships that build on these two values and maintaining academic excellence are our highest priorities,” said President Bertolino. “In those areas, the Southern’s BioPath program has been exceptional. We have graduated more than 900 students to date and, with the launch of the 101 College Street Community Scholarship, we're excited to continue growing and further supporting Greater New Haven's burgeoning BioTech hub.”
SCSU BioPath is proud to have played such an important role in the exciting growth in New Haven’s life sciences sector, added Christine C. Broadbridge, PhD, a Physics Professor at SCSU and Executive Director of Research & Innovation there.
“BioPath was established in 2015 as the workforce initiative for the 100 College Street development and has grown to include a range of programs providing a pipeline of talent from New Haven Public Schools and Gateway Community College to SCSU ideally meeting industry needs,” Dr. Broadbridge said. “The announcement today of the scholarships for students to pursue BioPath programs takes us one step closer to ensuring that students from New Haven are provided the opportunity to work in New Haven’s life science industry.”
The Together We Grow / 101 College Street Scholarship Fund is part of a larger package of job creation and workforce development provisions in the DLDA designed to ensure that New Haven residents benefit from development, in keeping with the City’s Inclusive Growth Initiative. Other provisions include a Board of Education Architecture Construction Engineering (ACE) Mentoring Program, workforce pipeline support services, and opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses.
“The community benefits package incorporated into the development agreement for 101 College Street sets a standard for inclusive development that serves as a model for cities nationwide,” said New Haven Alder Ron Hurt (Ward 3). “Thank you, Carter Winstanley, for sharing the vision of the Board of Alders and the City of New Haven and collaborating with us on this ambitious undertaking.”
New Haven Alder Carmen Rodriguez (Ward 6) stated, “The community benefits package that accompanied the development agreement for 101 College Street sets a standard for inclusive development. I thank Carter Winstanley for collaborating with the Board of Alders and the City of New Haven.”
James Barber, past president and longtime board member of the New Haven Scholarship Fund, and Laila Mohammed, a Hill Career Regional High School student who is aspiring to major in Exercise Science and pursue a career as a physical therapist, also attended and provided important context to the importance of today’s event.
Barber stated, “This scholarship is a game changer – for the opportunity it provides New Haven students and for the standard it sets for inclusive development in the city of New Haven.”
Scholarship applications will be opening in February, with the exact date to be announced soon, and the application will be posted on the New Haven Scholarship Fund’s website at www.NewHavenScholarshipfund.org.
The press conference can be viewed in its entirety here: bit.ly/101-College-Scholarship-Fund-1-31-23
Press Contact
Lenny H. Speiller (he/him)
Director of Communications
Mayor Justin Elicker | City of New Haven
165 Church Street | New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: 203-725-4249
Email: Lspeiller@newhavenct.gov
