WISHFest Waterbury

WISH stands for: Waterbury, Innovation, Sustainability, Health

The WISHfest was created as a partnership between the University of Connecticut (UConn) Waterbury Campus and the City of Waterbury to advance the educational goals of UConn Waterbury, enhance the K-12 college to workforce pipeline, and promote partnerships among the greater Waterbury communities. The WISHfest is centered around programs that promote innovation, sustainability, and health. The WISHfest welcomes UConn Waterbury, Waterbury Public Schools (WPS), greater Waterbury businesses, industries, and the community.

In it’s 2^nd year, this event is on April 23rd with the theme “WISH for Our Tomorrow: Fostering Diversity for a Creative Future” features a lecture and panel discussion at the Palace Theater. The afternoon session will move to the UConn Waterbury campus, where the UConn Center for Career Development and Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB), will host an immersive career expo which will give students an interactive and unique opportunity to explore career pathways and connect with local businesses and organizations.

The WISHfest is made possible by the $1M endowment made to UConn Waterbury by Mrs. Joan and Dr. David Reed in 2014 https://cetl.uconn.edu/reed-fellowship/. It was reimagined in 2022 to have a broader impact on the UConn Waterbury students and the community.

The best part? It’s all free.