New Haven

The New Haven Division honors the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Connecticut Regional Office for its exceptional anti-bias educational programming in communities across Connecticut. Accepting the award on behalf of the organization is Gary Jones.

ADL’s anti-bias and anti-bullying message reaches more than 20,000 students, teachers, parents, state employees, federal employees, and community members each year through its outstanding team of professional education staff and its 50 “A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE” trainers. The Connecticut office of the ADL recently led the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) diversity retreat at Quinnipiac University. The SCC program, operated by the ADL for more than 15 years, is an inter-district diversity education program that involves 21 public and private high schools. The program runs throughout the school year and provides an important opportunity for relationship-building among students who come from urban, suburban, public, and parochial schools and who rarely, if ever, would have a chance to get to know one another outside of the program. At the 2013 summer retreat, approximately 55 students participated in team-building and small-group activities to increase their awareness of prejudice and discrimination.

Since 2007, the Connecticut Regional Office has conducted two separate interfaith missions to Israel, signifying its commitment to building bridges among communities by promoting peace, mutual respect, and understanding. To solidify its commitment to the local community, the ADL hosts four annual events that recognize outstanding community leaders and demonstrate the support of ADL’s constituents on a statewide basis.