UConn ECE Magazine

By the Numbers

Check out our top 10 schools for highest number of students enrolled, highest percent enrollment increase, and largest percentage of high school taking UConn ECE. There were 19,886 students from around the state enrolled for the 2024-25 academic year.

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Spring 2025 Student Events

We’re proud to see such strong involvement from our partner schools and applaud the efforts of instructors, students, and UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators who make these valuable learning opportunities possible. 

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PCS Welcomes New Director

In February, Dr. Bobbi-Jo Wathen joined UConn full time as the Director of Pre-College Summer. She is no stranger to UConn’s Office of Early College Programs as she has been a Site Representative for the UConn Early College...

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Celebrating Continued Growth

This spring, UConn Early College Experience marked a significant milestone by certifying 290 new instructors. Many existing instructors with UConn ECE chose to expand their certification to include new courses. Of those, 224 were brand new partners to...

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ECE Wallace Stevens Poetry Contest

I’ve been writing narrative poetry and creative nonfiction for over twenty years, and when I am teaching undergraduate introductory level creative writing courses, my students often ask me a variation of two questions: “what inspires you to write?”....

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Growing Together

Over the past three academic years, UConn Early College Experience has demonstrated intentional and strategic growth in its course offerings, grounded in a commitment to meet the evolving needs of students and to respond directly to the requests of partner high schools for more diverse and robust academic options. In 2023–2024, UConn ECE...

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New Faculty Coordinators

Faculty Coordinators are the essential academic bridge between UConn and our high school partner sites, upholding the standards and integrity of UConn Early College Experience. As UConn professors, they bring their disciplinary expertise and departmental values directly to UConn ECE Instructors by reviewing certification applications...

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Professional Development Workshops

We’ve had yet another eventful semester for the UConn Early College Experience Program, including 22 unique professional development experiences for our certified ECE Instructors. A mix of on campus and virtual events were held, for our wonderful instructors from Allied Health....

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Farewell with Gratitude

As we bid a heartfelt farewell to several long-time UConn Pre-College Summer (PCS) staff members, we celebrate the profound impact two very special staff have had on the growth and success of the program. Collectively, Nella Quasnitschka and Melanie Banks represented a combined 30+ years...

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Student Scholarship Winners

The UConn Early College Experience (ECE) Office is proud to announce the seven exceptional recipients of the 2024–2025 UConn ECE Student Scholarships. Following a highly competitive and rigorous review process...

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News to Know

The 2025 Annual NEACEP Conference, Something More Than Dual Credit, was held on May 30 at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, MA, convening over 100 educators, administrators, and stakeholders from across New England and beyond. The conference focused on advancing...

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Celebrating Excellence

On April 24, 2025, the UConn Early College Experience community gathered at the UConn Alumni Center in Storrs to celebrate the exceptional educators and administrators who have gone above and beyond in their roles as UConn ECE partners. The 2025 Professional Recognition Awards Ceremony honored...

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Annual Site Representative Conference

The annual Site Representative Conference was held this May at the UConn Avery Point campus in Groton, CT. The Early College Experience Program Staff hosted 170 Site Representatives from 135 partner high schools...

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Stakeholder Appreciation

As part of our annual stakeholder appreciation efforts, the UConn Early College Experience program proudly recognized the invaluable contributions of school counselors, teachers, and principals who support and champion UConn ECE at their high schools. In celebration of...

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UConn ECE Magazine, Director's Thoughts

Looking Through the Leaves: UConn ECE’s Expanding Reach & Vision

 

I recently had the opportunity to spend time with colleagues from across the state and our NACEP (National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships) friends at the Connecticut State Department of Education’s sponsored NACEP Dual Credit Accreditation Institute hosted by Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). One NACEP team found themself commenting on the beauty of Connecticut, specifically struck by the volume of
trees they observed driving around the region. This comment immediately brought back childhood memories of summer days relaxing under a tree. There’s something transformative about lying under a tree, sunlight breaking through the leaves, and watching the canopy ripple with promise. It
mirrors the feeling students and educators experience through the UConn Early College Experience (ECE) program—grounded in opportunity, but always looking upward. With nearly 20,000 students statewide engaged this past academic year, ECE represents more than a head start on college—it’s a pathway to academic self-discovery, growth, and inspiration.

 

Over the past three years, UConn ECE has broadened its course offerings significantly to meet the needs of students and the evolving requests of partner high schools. From computer science and environmental studies to new STEM and humanities electives, the program reflects a commitment to providing rigorous, relevant, and diverse learning experiences. Recent additions, such as ME 3295 (Industrial Design) and UNIV 1820 (First Year Seminar, Intro to Making), have allowed partner schools to integrate university-level coursework directly into their existing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs—ensuring access for a wider range of students.

 

Central to this growth is continued support from university leadership, dedicated and inspiring UConn faculty and an ongoing expansion of pathways for certifying new UConn ECE Instructors. By improving access to training, graduate coursework, and credentialing opportunities, the program is empowering more high school educators to bring UConn courses into their classrooms. This approach not only enriches the professional lives of instructors but also ensures students from every corner of Connecticut have access to the same high standards of academic excellence.

 

As with the theme of this summer’s magazine, “Big Ideas Come out of the Blue” and the view from beneath the tree, ECE’s vision is one of infinite branches—each representing a unique student journey. With every new course, every new teacher, and every supported learner, the UConn Early College Experience program reaffirms its role as a statewide leader in concurrent enrollment. The light filtering through the canopy isn’t just the sun—it’s the future, breaking through.

 

To everyone in the UConn ECE Community—educators, counselors, administrators, partners, students, families and
staff—thank you for your tireless commitment to expanding access, upholding excellence, and shaping opportunity for
thousands of students across Connecticut. We hope this summer brought you the relaxation you’ve earned and moments
of reflection beneath the trees, where new ideas and fresh inspiration can shine through.

ECE archives

Summer 2025

Winter 2024-25

Summer 2024

Winter 2023-24

Summer 2023

Winter 2022-23