{"id":224012,"date":"2025-01-27T13:24:36","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T18:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=224012"},"modified":"2025-03-19T15:05:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T19:05:52","slug":"uconn-waterburys-walkbury-initiative-connecting-campus-with-community-culture-and-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/01\/uconn-waterburys-walkbury-initiative-connecting-campus-with-community-culture-and-history\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn Waterbury\u2019s \u201cWalkbury\u201d Initiative: Connecting Campus with Community, Culture, and History"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last fall, UConn Waterbury launched Walkbury<\/em>, an innovative program designed to harmonize the campus community with the vibrant culture, history, and businesses of downtown Waterbury. The initiative encourages students, staff, faculty, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) members to explore the city’s unique offerings and deepen their connection to the local community.<\/p>\n

This program is part of the larger Ideas + Impact<\/em><\/a> initiative, which also launched last fall thanks to a generous donation from UConn Waterbury alumnus Mike Peluso (Business \u201999). Ideas + Impact<\/em><\/a> supports student-initiated and campus-initiated social impact projects, empowering students to make meaningful contributions to their communities. Walkbury<\/em> embodies the spirit of Ideas + Impact<\/em><\/a> by fostering engagement, building connections, and creating opportunities for learning and growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIdeas + Impact<\/em> is about giving students the tools to make a difference, and Walkbury<\/em> is a perfect example of that mission in action,\u201d said Peluso. \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding to see how UConn Waterbury is inspiring students to engage with their community in meaningful ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Semester of Engagement and Exploration<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\u201cUConn
\u201cUConn Waterbury students enjoy local flavors at Grand Street Tavern. Photo by Steve Bustamante, UConn Library\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the fall semester, Walkbury<\/em> hosted four (and more to come!) food and cultural tours in partnership with Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Main Street Waterbury that brought the UConn community directly into the heart of downtown Waterbury. The tours, held during lunch hours and morning coffee meetups, offered opportunities to visit local landmarks, enjoy the city\u2019s culinary delights, and hear from community leaders including alumni.<\/p>\n

The food tours featured stops at popular eateries, including Seven Villages<\/strong>, Grand Street Tavern<\/strong>, and Nature\u2019s Love Juice Bar<\/strong>, where participants sampled delicious offerings while meeting business owners. These events provided a taste of what downtown has to offer and underscored the importance of supporting local businesses.<\/p>\n

Adding depth to the experience, UConn Waterbury emeritus faculty member Ruth Glasser led the historical and cultural components of the tours. Participants learned about Waterbury\u2019s architectural gems, including City Hall and the iconic clock tower inspired by Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy.<\/p>\n

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\"UConn
\u201cUConn Waterbury students engage in a discussion with Mayor Pernerewski at City Hall. Photo by Steve Bustamante, UConn Library\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the tours, Mayor Paul Pernerewski welcomed the group at City Hall, sharing insights on the city\u2019s ongoing revitalization and hosting a Q&A session focused on career development and civic engagement.<\/p>\n

The tours also drew the attention of prominent Connecticut leaders, including State Senator Joan Hartley and State Representative Geraldo Reyes, who joined participants to emphasize the significance of community involvement and partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program is about more than walking tours or discounts,\u201d said Dr. Fumiko Hoeft, dean and chief administrative officer of UConn Waterbury. \u201cIt\u2019s about fostering understanding and building harmony between UConn and the community. Walkbury<\/em> is a natural extension of Ideas + Impact<\/em>, as both aim to inspire students and encourage them to engage meaningfully with the world around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Community and Collaboration<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At its heart, Walkbury<\/em> is about creating meaningful connections. Through partnerships with local businesses, participants receive exclusive discounts upon presenting a valid UConn or OLLI ID. These collaborations encouraged the UConn community to explore downtown, discover new favorites, and contribute to the local economy.<\/p>\n

Lynn Ward, president and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber, applauded the initiative: \u201cPrograms like Walkbury<\/em> not only drive business but also create lasting relationships between the campus and the city. We\u2019re thrilled to see so many UConn members engaging with downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spirit Caf\u00e9 Opens to All<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the highlights of the Walkbury<\/em> initiative was the public opening of Spirit Caf\u00e9, located in the Rectory Building next to the Palace Theater. Previously available only to UConn students and staff, the caf\u00e9 now serves as a welcoming space for both the campus and local community to gather over breakfast and lunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Spirit Caf\u00e9 represents what Walkbury<\/em> is all about,\u201d said Hoeft. \u201cIt\u2019s a space where people from all walks of life can connect, share ideas, and enjoy great food in the heart of downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celebrating Waterbury\u2019s Charm<\/strong><\/h3>\n

From cozy cafes to cultural landmarks, Walkbury<\/em> celebrates Waterbury as a city of rich history and vibrant culture. By offering students, faculty, staff, and OLLI members the chance to explore and engage with the city, the initiative highlights what makes Waterbury unique and fosters a sense of belonging for all UConn members.<\/p>\n

Mayor Pernerewski praised the program, stating, \u201cWalkbury<\/em> is an excellent example of how a university and a city can work together to build community. It\u2019s about making sure every UConn member feels at home here in Waterbury.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With a successful first semester under its belt, Walkbury<\/em> is poised to continue its mission of fostering harmony between UConn Waterbury and the downtown community. As part of the broader Ideas + Impact<\/em><\/a> initiative, the program will continue to empower students and the entire UConn Waterbury community to engage with the city and make a lasting difference.<\/p>\n

For more information or to share ideas for collaboration, email walkbury@uconn.edu<\/a> or contact Heather Price at 203-236-9846.<\/p>\n

Through Walkbury<\/em> and Ideas + Impact<\/em><\/a>, UConn Waterbury is creating bridges between campus and community, showing that when we walk together, we grow together.<\/p>\n

\"Walkbury
(UConn Waterbury)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UConn Waterbury\u2019s Walkbury initiative is bridging the gap between campus and community by immersing students, staff, and faculty in the vibrant culture of downtown Waterbury. Part of the Ideas + Impact initiative, the program features food tours, historical walks, and partnerships with local businesses, fostering connections and community engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":204,"featured_media":224481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2625],"class_list":["post-224012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-02 20:37:05","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/204"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224012"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224012\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":227150,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224012\/revisions\/227150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/224481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224012"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=224012"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=224012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}