Congratulations to our partners at the Danbury Student and Business Connection (DSABC) on receiving the 2026 People First Impact Award from The Governor's Prevention Partnership!

The Governor's Prevention Partnership is a statewide nonprofit that brings together public and private partners to keep Connecticut's young people safe, healthy, and connected. Its work focuses on preventing substance misuse, bullying, and violence, and on growing quality mentoring programs across the state through its Mentor Connecticut initiative. Each year the organization recognizes partners who make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families.

DSABC connects caring adults from our community with students across Danbury Public Schools. Under the leadership of Executive Director Alexis Koukos, the program has grown from 70 mentors after the pandemic to 200 mentors today. That's 200 more people encouraging our students, listening to them, and helping them find their path.

Mentoring changes lives on both sides of the relationship. Students gain a trusted adult who believes in them. Mentors gain a new perspective and a connection that often lasts for years.

"Programs like DSABC are vital to our school community," said Superintendent Dr. Kara Casimiro. "No single assessment can capture their impact, because mentoring supports every aspect of a student's life as they grow. We see the difference every day in our classrooms, our hallways, and our graduates. We are so grateful to DSABC for their dedication to our children."

Thank you to the entire DSABC team for everything you do for Danbury's kids. We are proud to call you partners!

A special thank you to Mary Arconti Gregory, Jason Nova, and Jessica Westerfield for attending the celebration and representing the best of Danbury.

Interested in becoming a mentor? Learn more at https://dsabcmentors.org/