Human Relations Club Carries On Collicelli’s Legacy In The Valley

Contributed Photo

Danielle Todd (center) speaks with two seventh graders at Ansonia Middle School during a recent anti-bullying education program led by the Human Relations Club.

ANSONIA — It wasn’t so long ago that Danielle Todd was an Ansonia High student, getting trained to teach anti-bullying education classes to seventh graders. 

As she stood in Ansonia Middle School on Feb. 6 while other students led anti-bullying education classes, she thought back to those days when she joined the Human Relations Club (HRC). The club’s mission is to educate students and the community about diversity and the harmful effects of discrimination and prejudice, and it empowered students to become leaders.

Todd, who is enrolled as a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Hartford, has come full circle. She is now the lead advisor of the Human Relations Club.

My involvement in HRC grew throughout high school and really helped shaped my interests in college, from tutoring people who were incarcerated, to my desire to become a psychologist,” she said. Today, these issues are extremely prevalent and pervasive in society, and I am so honored to return to the HRC in a different capacity, as a mentor and adviser to students. I look forward to being able to challenge them and support them as they grow into the leaders that they are capable of becoming.”

There are HRC clubs in Ansonia and Derby schools, with about 100 students meeting with advisors in order to plan educational, cultural and intergenerational activities. 

The Feb. 6 teaching program in Ansonia and Derby middle schools teamed up high school and middle school club members who were trained to open discussions about bullying, social media, and self-identity. 

Contributed Photo

Students from the HRC Clubs in Ansonia and Derby teamed up for a day of training at the Boys & Girls Club in Ansonia

Sue Nargi at Ansonia High and Jim Piazza at Derby High are advisors of their groups, while at Ansonia Middle, several teachers serve as advisors: Cindy Mullins, Vicki Baldwin, Chris Quinlan and Devin Arpaia. 

Mullins said the program was well received by students. 

I have had students comment that they were able to take time to reflect and think about bullying in our school…and to relate to how it feels to be bullied,” she said. I also have observed a classroom discussion surrounding racism: what it means; how it feels; how we move forward and learn to treat each other equally. It was really a job well done for all involved.”

Piazza said he received very positive feedback from middle school teachers, who said the middle school students really enjoyed learning from their older counterparts. 

Our students relished the opportunity to work with the middle school to tighten bonds between the schools and teach them about such an important topic, anti-bullying. The middle school was very welcoming and receptive to our students, who did a great job teaching their lesson in the classrooms on their own,” Piazza said. After all was said and done, we received positive feedback from the middle school. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our community and developing strong and independent student leaders at Derby High School.

Derby High Principal Marty Pascale spoke about the support and encouragement that DHS club members receive from Mr. Piazza. 

Derby High is very excited that the Human Relations Club is working with our middle school students. Mr. Piazza is extremely passionate about the work that the club is doing, and the relationships being developed with our middle school students has been fantastic.”

Todd, who took the helm of the HRC in late November, said she will be meeting with the advisors and student officers in the upcoming weeks to schedule the elementary education program in the spring as well as discuss other activities. 

In the past, conferences have been held; cultural celebrations; a Senior Prom with senior citizens and guest speakers for club members. Todd has experience in all of these activities – but as a club member and club president.

I was interested in taking on this role because of the passion I have for the work that HRC does, and also because of the opportunity to give back to an organization that gave so much to me,” she said. 

Todd said the late Nick Collicelli, who brought the HRC to Ansonia in 2007, made a life-long impression on her. 

The HRC and Mr. C were extremely instrumental in shaping my adolescent years and gave me a chance to overcome a lot of my own insecurities and self-doubt, as we all know what a tumultuous time these years are. I want to be able to foster that same developmental experience for the students in HRC and to be able to give back to the community in the same way that Mr. C did.” 

After Mr. Collicelli passed away in 2016, his family established the Nicholas Collicelli Legacy Fund with the Valley Community Foundation (VCF).

The fund supports programs and individuals that best exemplify Nick’s passion for bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together in the quest to celebrate our common good. 

An annual banquet is held each year, honoring a student, educator, community member and organization. 

HRC club presidents have been selected for a Collicelli Legacy Award – and people such as Todd have served as guest speakers. 

One thing I learned from Mr. C’s drive is that it really is contagious; his passion in HRC poured into the community and generated so much positivity and growth in others,” Todd said. I want to be able to keep Mr. C’s legacy alive by being a small part of the very important and meaningful work that he has done for our students and community.”

Ansonia Superintendent Dr. Joseph DiBacco said he is well aware of the work accomplished by the HRC and he is grateful to the Katharine Matthies Foundation for funding the present work of the club. 

VCF and the Graustein Memorial Fund have also provided financial support, as well as the cities or Board of Educations in Ansonia and Derby. 

We are fortunate to have such a passionate individual as Ms. Todd to lead the HRC. I’m sure she will remain true to the original mission of the Club and will bring heart and soul to the work, a term that Mr. Collicelli used when he described what he, and what students, gave of themselves.”

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