From Stamford to Stonington, Hamden to Hartford, and more than two dozen towns in between, teachers, education personnel, students, parents and advocates are participating in “School Safety First” car caravans. The purpose of the coordinated day of action is to amplify demands for safety and health precautions and full, equitable funding when school buildings reopen this fall, according to a release from the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Connecticut.

The car caravans are expected to be held July 30 at 2 pm in Hartford, Bethel, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, East Hartford, East Lyme, Greenwich, Haddam, Hamden, Naugatuck, New Haven, Norwalk, Norwich, Putnam, Seymour, Simsbury, Stamford, Stonington, Stratford, Vernon, Wallingford, Willimantic, Wolcott, and Woodbridge.

The Connecticut Education Association (CEA) and AFT Connecticut organized the car caravans to amplify the voices of educators and school support personnel. They remain concerned about attempts to return to the classroom without the proper health and safety protocols in place while COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) is still not fully under control. The vast majority of car caravan rallies will begin at 2 pm, with speeches before the processions of cars through local communities. The largest protest will take place in Hartford, beginning at a parking lot on Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford. The caravan will travel to Governor Ned Lamont’s residence on Prospect Street in the capital city's West End. The Hartford action will be live-streamed on CEA’s Facebook page at facebook.com/CTEdAssoc.

In other communities, the caravans will travel through local neighborhoods to draw attention to educators’ safety concerns about state officials’ plans to reopen without adequate funding to keep everyone safe.

Starting locations for all 25 events are:

Bethel — Bethel High School, 300 Whittlesey Drive

Bridgeport — Bridgeport Central High School, 1 Lincoln Boulevard

Brookfield — Brookfield High School, 45 Long Meadow Hill Road

Danbury — Danbury High School, 43 Clapboard Ridge Road

East Hartford — East Hartford High School, 869 Forbes Street

East Lyme — East Lyme High School, 30 Chesterfield Road

Greenwich — Commuter Parking Lot at I-95 Exit 3, Horse Neck Lane

Haddam — Commuter Parking Lot at Route 9 Exit 8, Beaver Meadow Road

Hamden — Hamden Middle School, 2623 Dixwell Avenue

Hartford — Parking lot at Asylum and Trout Brook in West Hartford

Naugatuck — Naugatuck High School, 543 Rubber Avenue

New Haven — Wilbur Cross High School at 181 Mitchell Drive (Note: this has a noon start time and new location.)

Norwalk — Brien McMahon High School, 300 Highland Avenue (Notes: This has a 3 pm start time.)

Norwich — Norwich Free Academy, Senior parking lot, Reynolds Road near Bradlaw Building

Putnam — St Marie Greenhalgh Sports Complex, 33 Wicker Street

Seymour — Seymour High School, 2 Botsford Road

Simsbury — Simsbury High School, 34 Farms Village Road

Stamford — Scalzi Park, 100 Bridge Street

Stonington — Stonington High School, 176 S Broad Street, Pawcatuck

Stratford — Bunnell High School, 1 Bulldog Boulevard

Vernon — Rockville High School, 70 Loveland Hill Road

Wallingford — Sheehan High School , 142 Hope Hill Road

Willimantic — Jillson Square, 2 Jackson Street (NOTE 5:00 p.m. start time)

Wolcott — Wolcott High School, 457 Bound Line Road

Woodbridge — Beecher Road School, 40 Beecher Road