North Hartford Ascend
Community Initiative / Education / Healthcare
FourteenG partnered with North Hartford Ascend to build the marketing infrastructure, digital systems, and community visibility needed to support a large-scale prenatal-to-career initiative serving families across Hartford’s Promise Zone.
Case Study Menu:
01
Understanding The Challenge
North Hartford Ascend launched as a multi-partner initiative designed to connect children and families in Hartford’s Promise Zone with educational, health, and community support services from prenatal care through career readiness. Backed by a $30 million Promise Neighborhoods grant led by Connecticut Children’s, the initiative involved schools, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, community leaders, and local residents working toward a shared long-term mission.
While the initiative had strong leadership and community investment behind it, it needed a clear public presence, a unified brand system, and a way to help families understand what Ascend was, how it worked, and where to access support. At the same time, the growing network of partners needed internal systems and communication infrastructure that could support collaboration across organizations.
FourteenG was brought in at the ground level to help shape both the external visibility and internal marketing foundation of the initiative.
02
Key Objectives
To support the launch and long-term growth of the initiative, FourteenG helped build the systems, messaging, and infrastructure needed to connect families, partners, and community resources more effectively.
- Build awareness and visibility for a new community-wide initiative
- Create a clear and trusted public-facing brand
- Improve access to programs, services, and resources for families
- Develop marketing systems capable of supporting multiple stakeholders
- Create internal infrastructure for partner communication and collaboration
- Support long-term community engagement and measurable impact
03
Building a More Connected Approach
FourteenG developed a connected marketing and communications system designed to support visibility, collaboration, community engagement, and long-term scalability across the initiative.
Strategy & Messaging
Developed the overall communications strategy, messaging framework, and marketing direction to align partners, outreach efforts, and community engagement.
Brand & Community Identity
Created the visual identity, brand system, and community-driven branding process that helped establish trust and recognition across the Promise Zone.
Website & Digital Infrastructure
Designed and developed both the public-facing website and internal partner intranet to improve resource access, communication, and collaboration.
Visibility & Outreach
Supported awareness and engagement through SEO, social media, workshops, surveys, photography, multilingual materials, campaigns, and ongoing outreach initiatives.
04
Strategic Execution
The work extended beyond marketing deliverables and focused on building systems that could support communication, accessibility, and long-term collaboration across the initiative.
05
Results That Matter
While the initiative continues to grow, the work has already contributed to measurable improvements in visibility, engagement, educational outcomes, and community impact across the Promise Zone.
Increase in Post-Secondary Enrollment
Ascend schools achieved a 48% increase in post-secondary enrollment.
Increase in Perception of School Safety
Students reporting they felt safe at school increased by nearly 29 percentage points.
Program Enrollments
Programs and services newly enrolled more than 41,000 individuals between January 2022 and December 2023.
Referrals Made in 2024
Thousands of referrals helped connect families and residents with critical programs, services, and community support resources.
Program Completion Rate
The majority of participants completed the programs they enrolled in, reflecting consistent engagement and connection to services.
06
Built For Long-Term Growth
North Hartford Ascend was more than a website or awareness campaign. It required the development of a connected marketing ecosystem capable of supporting community engagement, partner collaboration, and long-term growth across a complex multi-stakeholder initiative.
From branding and messaging to infrastructure, outreach, and ongoing communication support, FourteenG helped build the systems needed to support both visibility and sustainability over time.
The result was a more connected initiative with stronger public awareness, improved access to resources, and a scalable foundation for continued community impact.
