Creative Commons License

Credit: Stephen Busemeyer

CT Mirror Community Engagement Reporter Mariana Navarrete Villegas is hosting a listening session on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at the University of Hartford’s Hillyer Hall, in Room 125. This is a safe space to share how families receive information and news about their children’s education, how they connect with schools, the city and the media. What’s working and what’s missing?

From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., there will be an English listening session. From 5:45 to 6:45 p.m., the session will be held in Spanish only.

Date: Wednesday, April 29
Time: 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (English); 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. (Spanish)
Location: University of Hartford, Hillyer Hall, Room 125, 200 Bloomfield Ave.

Refreshments will be provided in both sessions. The space is intended to be welcoming and inclusive for everyone. People are encouraged to bring a friend, a neighbor or family member. Whether you want to share your experience or just listen, this is meant to be a safe space. Email Mariana or join the Hartford text line if you have any questions or need accommodations.

Mariana Navarrete Villegas is a Community Engagement Reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, covering Hartford. She recently graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism with a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism. Previously, she was the Community Engagement and Video Assistant at Epicenter-NYC and a Podcast Intern at The Take, Al Jazeera English’s daily news podcast. As a reporter, she has covered stories from New York to Florida, California, Panama, and Mexico, focusing on labor rights, immigration, and community care. She also hosts 'La Chismesita,' a community radio show in New York that archives oral histories through conversations with women community leaders. Originally from Mexico, Mariana spent her teenage years in Panama. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University, where she interned at the International Rescue Committee.