By Jessica Dunn

 

On November 14, 2024, the University of Connecticut’s Early College Experience (ECE) Program Office along with UConn ECE French Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Florence Marsal, hosted the annual French Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl on the UConn Storrs Campus. This year’s event had over 120 students attend representing nine different UConn ECE partner high schools across Connecticut. We welcomed students from Coventry High School, Daniel Hand High School, Glastonbury High School, Lewis S. Mills High School, New Fairfield High School, Wilton High School, Bristol Eastern High School, Jonathan Law High School, and Norwich Free Academy.

 

Students started the day in the Student Union Theatre where they heard from OECP Executive Director, Christopher Todd; the Literatures, Cultures, and Languages Department Head, Dr. Jennifer Terni; and the UConn ECE French Faculty Coordinator and host, Dr. Florence Marsal. Chris welcomed students and instructors to Storrs with a brief commentary on the intertwined histories of the United States and France, particularly the shared revolutionary ideals of the late 18th Century, and the significant cultural, political, and intellectual exchanges which have shaped their paths as modern democracies. Dr. Terni spoke about Technopole, the UConn dual degree in French and engineering that offers great opportunities to travel and internship in France, while Dr. Marsal individually welcomed each participating high school, and provided them with guidance on how the event would unfold. Students were encouraged to take advantage of the opportu­nity to interact with the UConn French Teaching Assistants during the morning immersion sessions, to collaborate with their peers from across the state, and to bring their best to the afternoon’s Quiz Bowl competition.

 

It was evident students were excited to be at the event, and to share their passion for learning the French lan­guage. After the morning immersion sessions where students discussed a wide variety of topics, such as comedy, paintings, BookTubers, European travel, the Breton regional identity, and fairy tales, they mental­ly prepared themselves for the jeopardy-style Quiz Bowl Competition in the afternoon. To accommodate the higher number of teams who entered the competition than in years past, Dr. Marsal shifted the format of the competition. Instead of single elimination rounds, each team competed a minimum of two times this year. The teams who achieved the highest number of correct answers advanced to the next round.

 

This format allowed all teams to be on stage and in the spotlight at least twice, which was a great improvement from years past, but it did create very close competition! After the first rounds, five teams were tied for the most correct answers and one team with over double that number of correct answers. Norwich Free Academy was deemed the Champion with the most correct answers after the first rounds. The competition then continued with single representatives from each of the five high schools coming to center stage to battle for second and third place.

 

Teams were eliminated one by one as rounds progressed, leaving Bristol Eastern High School and Glastonbury High School bat­tling for their positions. In the last minutes of the competition, Bristol Eastern came out on top, taking home 2nd place and Glastonbury High School took home 3rd place.

 

 

 

By Jessica Dunn

 

On November 20th, the UConn ECE Program Office, in collaboration with Dr. Anke Finger, the UConn ECE German Faculty Coordinator, hosted an exciting and educational student event: the UConn ECE German Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl. This event marked the culmination of UCo­nn ECE’s Fall 2024 Language Days series, offering students a unique opportunity to enhance their language skills in Italian, French, and German, while also celebrating the rich cultural traditions associated with each language.

 

The German day began with a warm welcome from Dr. Anke Finger, who introduced the event’s format and expressed her excitement for the day’s activities. She welcomed all the participating high schools from across the state to UConn. The event brought in a diverse group of students, with the closest attendees from neighboring E.O. Smith High School, followed by East Lyme High School, and schools from the southwest corner of the state, including Staples High School and Wilton High School.

 

Dr. Finger’s opening remarks were followed by an eye-opening keynote address from Isabel Sterett, a senior in UConn’s Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) program, who shared her personal experience studying abroad in Germany. Isabel, who had never studied German before coming to UConn, recounted her transformative journey as part of UConn’s EUROTECH program. She spoke about her time in Germany, where she studied both German and engineering, participated in an internship, and explored German culture through activities like attending Oktoberfest, skiing in the Swiss Alps, and visiting landmarks in Berlin. Her internship at BMW’s additive manufacturing campus in Munich also provided invaluable international experience, emphasizing the benefits of pursuing degrees and careers with a global perspective.

Following the keynote, students participated in smaller immersion sessions led by Graduate Assis­tants in the UConn German Department. Students explored get-to-know games in German and learned about some of the teaching approaches in the program. Dr. Finger then led a short career session, highlighting over 150 German companies in Connecticut eager to offer internships and hire program graduates.

 

Just as the career discussion wrapped up, a surprise visit from Jonathan XIV and Jonathan XV brought excitement to the event. The dogs, on their daily walk through campus, stopped by the theater to greet attendees, creating the perfect transition before the afternoon’s head-to-head com­petition.

 

The highlight of the day was the highly anticipated Quiz Bowl, where teams of students tested their knowledge of German language, history, and culture. The Quiz Bowl consisted of six rounds of competition where each team played against each other twice. Teams from East Lyme High School, Staples High School, and Wilton High School competed fiercely, vying for the top spots.

In the championship round, Staples High School emerged vic­toriously, earning 1st place with 14 points. Wilton High School secured 2nd place with 9 points, while East Lyme High School rounded out the top three with 3rd place and 4 points. The event not only celebrated academic achievements, but also fostered a sense of community and cultural exchange among students from different regions of Connecticut.

 

The UConn ECE German Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl exem­plified UConn’s dedication to enriching students’ educational experiences and encouraging global awareness. Through en­gaging activities like the Quiz Bowl and inspiring presentations like Isabel’s keynote, students gained valuable insights into the importance of language learning and the benefits of an interna­tional perspective.

 

 

 

 

By Jessica Dunn

 

This map of Connecticut highlights the high schools that participated in UConn ECE student events during the Fall 2024 semester. Each marker represents a school that sent students to a specific event, providing a visual representation of regional participation across the state. The map also reflects the diverse range of schools involved, from urban centers to rural areas, illustrating the broad engagement in these student events offered so far this year. The widespread participation is a testament to the dedication of UConn ECE Instructors and Students and their commitment to excellence and growth. We look forward to expanding our reach and encourage all high schools to take advantage of the valuable opportunities available to students across various disciplines.

 

 

 

By Mikala Kane, Director of Communications & Digital Strategy, UConn Neag School of Education

 

Eight Districts Bring EDCI 1100, EPSY 1100, and EDLR 2001 Students to Storrs

 

In October, the UConn Neag School of Education hosted nine high schools that offer its Early College Experience courses in Storrs for a day. The 116 high schoolers in attendance learned more about the University, the Neag School, and potential ca­reers in education and sport management.

 

“Expanding our Early College Experience courses offered through the Neag School has been a priority for me,” Dean Jason G. Irizarry says. “In 2023-2024, our four courses provided the opportunity to earn college credits to 669 high schoolers in 25 districts. I’m thrilled Neag School faculty and staff organized an ECE Day for some of the students currently enrolled in our courses.”

 

Irizarry kicked off the day’s program, welcoming students and teachers from Bristol, East Hampton, Enfield, Farmington, Mil­ford, New Britain, Plainville, and Trumbull. All either teach or take EDCI 1100: If You Love It, Teach It; EDLR 2001: Contem­porary Issues in Sport; or EPSY 1100: Introduction to Special Education.

The group then heard an overview of the Neag School from ECE faculty coordinators and professors, as well as Assistant Director of Student Support Dominique Battle-Lawson and Academic Advisor Sydnee Jones.

 

“The Neag School continues to prioritize Early College Experi­ence as an opportunity to connect with high school students,” says assistant professor in residence Danielle DeRosa, who is also one of the School’s ECE faculty coordinators. “We want­ed the opportunity to bring ECE students who are taking our courses to campus so they could get a taste for campus life and learn more about the Neag School.”

 

Around midmorning, students enjoyed tours of campus and the athletics facilities before attending one of two panels: either about the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Teacher Education Program or the Sport Management Program.

 

Both panels were organized and led by current Neag School students. Cece Echevarria ’25 (ED), ’26 MA; Anneliese Ide ’26 (ED), ’27 MA; Eben Hikade ’25 (ED), ’26 MA; Brynn Madonna ’25 (ED), ’26 MA; and Logan McCallum Laval ’24 (ED), ’25 MA spoke on the teach­er education panel, while Paige Bjerke ’26 (ED), Teddi Ferraro ’25 (ED), Jake Steinberg ’26 (ED), Donte’ Carter ’26 (ED), and Ava Inesta ’26 (ED) offered insight as part of the sport management panel.

 

“The students asked insightful questions that allowed current Neag School students to share their advice and experiences of what to expect from both the University and our programs specifically,” says McCallum Laval, who also helped coordinate and host the day’s activities. “We hope to continue this event for years to come.”

“We hope the high school students and their teachers were able to learn more about UConn, the Neag School, and our programs, faculty, staff, and current students,” says Ann Traynor, assistant dean and certification offi­cer for the Neag School.

 

“Neag Day was an invaluable experience for my stu­dents,” says Molly Anderson, an educator from Jona­than Law High School in Milford. “The visit sparked an excitement about life after high school, and my students are still talking about it. It’s undoubtedly one of the highlights of being part of the Neag School’s ECE community.”