A Groundbreaking Partnership brings Mindfulness to Hartford Residents

On the Tuesday morning of September 19th, the Copper Beech team arrived at the Riverfront Boathouse in Hartford for a highly anticipated Press Conference led by Mayor Luke Bronin. We mingled on the deck overlooking the Connecticut River—the sun shining and the air buzzing with excitement. 

Hugs and handshakes were exchanged as we awaited the public launch of a groundbreaking partnership—culminating years’ worth of research and planning. At last, the cameras rolled, and Mayor Bronin made things official: Copper Beech, the Greater Hartford Arts Council, and Headspace will be working together to make self-care and wellness resources available to all Hartford residents. ❤️ 

Administered by the City’s Office of Safety & Wellness, this initiative is a groundbreaking public-private partnership focused on community-wide mental wellness. The Copper Beech team will provide self-care and mental wellness training for city employees, with a specific focus for employees from the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation, and the Hartford Public Library. This training program is intended to build a culture of mindfulness amongst city employees—allowing them to promote self-care resources and support for the Hartford residents they serve. 

Our team will also be hosting several mindfulness pop-ups at citywide public events to raise awareness of mindfulness practices and invite residents to join our free daily meditation practices.  The Greater Hartford Arts Council will support this initiative using public art in high-visibility locations to emphasize positive messages, reinforce the importance of mental wellness and self-care, and increase awareness of available resources. 

Additionally, through this multi-year partnership, all Hartford residents, students, city employees, and Hartford Public Schools employees will be given free access to the Headspace app—including self-paced mindfulness sessions and personalized meditation resources. Individuals living, working or getting educated in the City of Hartford will have easy access to the Headspace app. Please click here for more information. 

We feel honored to be included in this initiative and we look forward to sharing the tools of mindfulness with the resilient community of Hartford. Please connect with us on Instagram and Facebook to follow along in this journey!