The Social Justice Club at University High School of Science and Engineering (UHSSE) has succeeded in securing free bus passes for Hartford students. Thanks to their legislative advocacy efforts, the state included in HB Bill 5523, a pilot program giving students in Hartford and New Haven free city bus passes.
Access to free transportation before and after school positively affects a student’s ability to succeed. The students in the Social Justice Club at University High School of Science and Engineering understand this; each of them on a very personal level. When free bus passes went away post-COVID in 2022, the students knew they would need to take action to restore the necessary service. Read about their advocacy and how their actions forced the addition of language about the need for equitable, free transportation for Connecticut students to be included in current state legislation.
As part of a pilot supported by this bill, the Department of Education will provide a grant-in-aid to the local board of education for the city of Hartford for the purpose of purchasing bus passes for state-owned or state-controlled bus public transportation service for students who are enrolled in grades nine to twelve.
The goal of the UHSSE Social Justice League is to give every student in Connecticut access to free city bus passes. Rep. Curry heard the club’s concerns and said the Social Justice Club was responsible for getting its proposal into a bill aimed at helping Connecticut’s “disconnected” youth. Members of the club testified before the state education committee on Feb. 29. You can view comments from the Speaker and Representative Currey on the policy, with a shout out to the Social Justice League students here.
Check out the below article in CT Insider about the University High School of Science and Engineering students who worked with lawmakers to create a proposal for free city bus passes for students. Each student details why transportation matters to their success.
Proposed CT bill would provide some free bus passes; Hartford students explain why that matters Read it here!
University's Social Justice Club from left to right: Nariyah Lindsay, Iyanu Omojola, Amy Kakravhquarshae, Andre Camino, Siddarth Krishnan, Mia Perez, Dah Lwel and Principal Sean Tomany after a Social Justice Club meeting at University High, Hartford on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. By Myer Lee/Hearst Media Connecticut
UHSSE Social Justice Club members and their grade levels include Andre Camino (12);Akiliah Crawford (12), Jenna, Ghonaim (11), Amy Kakravhquarshae (12), Siddarth Krishnan (12), Dah Lwel (12), Iyanu Omojola (12), and Mia Perez (12.)