This map of Connecticut highlights the high schools that participated in UConn ECE student events during the 2025–2026 academic year— an exciting year of growth for student engage­ment. Building on last year’s 14 student events, UConn ECE expanded to 16 student events in 2025–2026, creating even more opportunities for students to connect with the University and with one another.

 

Initially introduced in the winter magazine to showcase fall participation, this updated map now includes schools that participated throughout the spring semester as well. Each marker represents a high school whose stu­dents attended at least one event, offering a clear visual of the program’s expanding reach. With more schools participating than in the previous year, the map reflects broader geo­graphic representation across the state.

 

This increased participation is a testament to the continued dedication of UConn ECE in­structors and students, whose enthusiasm for academic enrichment drives the success of these events. As interest continues to grow, UConn ECE looks forward to further expanding access and encouraging more high schools to take advantage of these meaningful, hands-on learning experiences across a wide range of disciplines.

 

Read more…

 

• 2026 UConn Early College Experience Marine Science Symposium
• The 2026 UConn Italian Multimedia Contest
• Trumbull High School Students Visit UConn Stamford
• Rock Solid Learning: Earth Science Students Explore UConn
• Defending Champions Retain Crown at CT Science Olympiad Championship
• CT History Day: Young Historians Seize McHugh Hall
• UConn ECE MELD: High School Students Engage in Hands-On Chemistry at UConn
• First ECE Spanish Film Fest: Caribbean Cinema
• UConn Sparks Early Interest in Pharmacy
• Inaugural Math Integration Bee

 

By Eduardo Urios-Aparisi, Associate Professor and Celinés Villalba-Rosado, Associate Professor, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, UConn ECE Spanish Faculty Coordinators

 

 

On May 22, UConn ECE Spanish hosted our first event on the Storrs campus. More than 50 students from four high schools participated in the first ever UConn ECE Spanish Film Fest. The event was organized for students and teachers to come to cam­pus, watch a selection of short films, have a conversation with the directors of those shorts, and have the oppor­tunity to interact with students from other high schools in Connecticut.

 

The UConn ECE Executive Director, Christopher Todd, welcomed students from the following high schools and their instructors: East Lyme High School (Jessica Garcia), John F. Ken­nedy High School (Catalina Rincon), Lewis S. Mills High School (Pamela Thomas), and E.O. Smith High School (Amy Nocton). Chris emphasized the importance of this event in UConn ECE Spanish’s history. Event orga­nizers Celinés Villalba-Rosado and Eduardo Urios-Aparisi gave an over­view of the line-up of event activities and thanked not only the students for their participation but also film producer Ivonne Cotorruelo-Perez. She curated the films and moderated the post-screening conversation with the directors.

 

The four films were made by Caribbean directors and had a connection to the present situation in the Caribbean and the USA. We started by watching Ana y la distancia, (Cuba, 2024), directed by Hansel Porras García. It is an emotional short about a Cuban woman who lives in Florida and struggles with anxiety as her son is trying to join her in Florida by taking the dangerous route from Nicara­gua to the US border. DEPEYIZE, (República Dominicana, 2024) is a short directed by Pa­mela Bencosme about a young Haitian boy whose mother is taken back to Haiti by migration police and, alone, he is adopted by a family of poor fisher­men in the area. Mano Santa (Puerto Rican, 2020) is a short directed by Stephanie Camacho, that focuses on a gay man who escapes from his father and homophobic prejudices and takes refuge with his grandfather, a man who lives in the mountains in the interior of Puerto Rico and who practices non-conventional medicine. The final short, Parole (Cuba-USA, 2024), is a documentary that tells two stories: the life of the director, Láza­ro González, in San Francisco and Berkeley, California and the voice messages his mother and sister leave him in his phone. The film shows the contrast between the life of the director in the US and that of his family in Cuba.

The students noted questions in their handout after each short. The discussion that ensued exceeded our expectations. One by one, students came to the podium and asked the four directors very relevant and meaningful questions about the films. Some students from the Dominican Republic were particularly affected by Pamela Bencosme’s DEPEYIZE since they had lived or knew people in a similar situation. They asked about unusual elements like the repeated presence of a canary in a cage in the film Ana y la distancia. They wanted to know whether Lázaro González was finally able to meet his family. They also asked about the use of the camera in Parole and its connection with the other Cuban short, Ana y la distancia. They wondered about the presence of music and its narrative role in Mano Santa. The conversation was lively, and we felt it could have continued when we had to break for lunch.

 

While we were having lunch, we asked students to write down which was their favorite short and why and then to ask students from another school about their favorite film. The hall immediately came alive with young people talking amongst each other, discussing, and interacting, sharing their own tastes and interests. This was the perfect ending for the activity which was meant to engage, discuss, and learn from each other by reflecting on what movies allow us to experience.
The beauty of a short film is the capacity to create poetry and narratives with very few images, and the students showed great sensitivity towards the beautiful images, the characters, the glimpse into their lives, and demonstrated an interest in getting to know more about what happened to the people in the stories. We often have the need to continue the story with our imagination. Short movies are perfect tools to learn about language, culture, and storytelling.
The event was an excellent conclusion to a very successful year. We had a large number of certified teachers. By all accounts, the workshop by Dr. Dolores Juan-Moreno (Clark University) was excellent and we awarded the first UConn ECE Spanish language award to Sophia D’Angelo from Lyme-Old Lyme High School. We look forward to next year’s event.

By Dr. Tina Chiappetta-Miller , Associate Professor In-Residence, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages and UConn ECE Italian Literature and Cultural Studies Faculty Coordinator

 

Now, in its third year, the UConn ECE Italian Multimedia Contest continues to offer students of Italian an original, engaging, and creative way to apply their language skills. This year’s theme, “Il linguaggio del…vero io” (“The language of… my true self ”) struck a special chord with the high school participants. The theme inspired more than 35 submissions that explored students’ intimate feelings and lived experiences.

 

Students responded in a wide range of creative formats, including poems, drawings, photo col­lages, and even an original song, which earned an honorable mention. This year’s winners expressed deeply personal images of their complex identi­ties, highlighting the intersection of cultures that shape who they are.

 

The contest jury, composed of Professor Federica Anichi­ni’s 10th grade class at the Istituto Agrario in Florence, Italy, were very impressed with this year’s submissions. Students Ettore, Viola, and Niccolò stepped up to record an enthusiastic video announcing the winners.

 

The best part about the “Il linguaggio di…” contest is that it showcases the strength and vitality of high school Italian programs across Connecticut while reinforcing UConn ECE’s connection and commitment to language learning and creative expression.

 

1st place: Virginia Akide Ndunge of Holy Cross High School with her essay, “Troppo, Non Abbastanza” (“Too much, not enough”) and her original collage “Sono Abbas­tanza” (“I am enough”).

 

2nd place: Jose Taveras of Bristol Central High School with his poem and photo collage, “Il mio cuore” (“My heart”).

 

3rd place: Isabella Cacnahuaray of Holy Cross High School with her poem “Mio Mondo Pieno di Somiglianza” (“My world full of similarities”) and drawing, “La Bellezza della Cultura” (“The beauty of culture”)

 

Honorable Mention: Emersyn Miller of Staples High School for her original song, “Scopri chi sono” (“Discover who I am”).

 

 

By Claudia Koerting, Academic Assistant, Biology, Program Coordinator, Marine Sciences, UConn ECE Marine Science Faculty Coordinator

 

Now in its 12th year, the 2026 UConn Early College Experience Marine Science Symposium took place on May 29th at UConn’s coastal Avery Point campus. The symposium brought together 56 students from four high schools—University High School of Science and Engineering, Waterford High School, Ledyard High School, and The Sound School—to present their yearlong research projects.

 

Students enrolled in UConn’s Marine Science courses (MARN1001E: The Sea Around Us and MARN1003E: Introduction to Oceanography with Lab) shared their work through oral presentations and detailed scientific posters, offering an opportunity to practice communicating science to a broad audience of peers, guests, UConn faculty, and graduate students.

 

MARN 1001E is a marine science course for non-science majors that focuses on human interaction with the marine environment. Over the course of the year, students conducted an in-depth exploration of scientific literature across a range of topics. Their projects examined issues such as climate change impacts on marine species, microplastic pollution, shifting ocean ecosystems, marine conservation and policy, and emerging scientific and medical applications inspired by ocean research. MARN 1003E students presented hands-on research that included ocean acidification resilience, alternatives for fish bait, and even an app developed to identify fish in Long Island Sound.

 

The wide range of topics reflected both the rigor of the coursework and the curiosity of these emerging scientists. By connecting classroom learning with real-world research, the symposium highlighted the value of experiential education. Students left the event with strengthened presentation skills, increased confidence, and a deeper sense of belonging in the scientific community, demonstrating both professionalism and dedication in their work.

 

 

By Dr. Fatma Selampinar, Professor in Residence and UConn ECE Chemistry Faculty Coordinator

 

During the 2025–2026 academic year, UConn chemistry and digital media and design faculty led a series of outreach events that brought quantum science to high school teachers and students across Connecticut.

 

The first event took place on October 9, 2025, with an Early College Experience Chemistry Teacher Workshop organized by Profs. Zhao, Mani, and Selampinar and supported by ECE. Twenty-five ECE high school UConn chemistry instructors came to campus for a full day focused on quantum materials.

 

 

By Stefanie Malinoski

 

This spring, UConn Early College Experience certified 248 new instructors, including 189 new partner instructors who completed New Instructor Orientation on May 18th, expanding access to UConn courses across 45 disciplines in 126 Connecticut high schools.

 

Led by Executive Director, Chris Todd, and the UConn ECE staff, the day-long orientation introduced educators to key program components,

By Dr. Tina Chiappetta-Miller , Associate Professor In-Residence, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages and UConn ECE Italian Literature and Cultural Studies Faculty Coordinator

 

Now, in its third year, the UConn ECE Italian Multimedia Contest continues to offer students of Italian an original, engaging, and creative way to apply their language skills. This year’s theme, “Il linguaggio del…vero io” (“The language of… my true self ”) struck a special chord with the high school participants. The theme inspired more than 35 submissions that explored students’ intimate feelings and lived experiences.

 

Students responded in a wide range of creative formats, including poems, drawings, photo col­lages, and even an original song, which earned an honorable mention. This year’s winners expressed deeply personal images of their complex identi­ties, highlighting the intersection of cultures that shape who they are.

 

The contest jury, composed of Professor Federica Anichi­ni’s 10th grade class at the Istituto Agrario in Florence, Italy, were very impressed with this year’s submissions. Students Ettore, Viola, and Niccolò stepped up to record an enthusiastic video announcing the winners.

 

The best part about the “Il linguaggio di…” contest is that it showcases the strength and vitality of high school Italian programs across Connecticut while reinforcing UConn ECE’s connection and commitment to language learning and creative expression.

 

1st place: Virginia Akide Ndunge of Holy Cross High School with her essay, “Troppo, Non Abbastanza” (“Too much, not enough”) and her original collage “Sono Abbas­tanza” (“I am enough”).

 

2nd place: Jose Taveras of Bristol Central High School with his poem and photo collage, “Il mio cuore” (“My heart”).

 

3rd place: Isabella Cacnahuaray of Holy Cross High School with her poem “Mio Mondo Pieno di Somiglianza” (“My world full of similarities”) and drawing, “La Bellezza della Cultura” (“The beauty of culture”)

 

Honorable Mention: Emersyn Miller of Staples High School for her original song, “Scopri chi sono” (“Discover who I am”).

 

 

By Claudia Koerting, Academic Assistant, Biology, Program Coordinator, Marine Sciences, UConn ECE Marine Science Faculty Coordinator

 

Now in its 12th year, the 2026 UConn Early College Experience Marine Science Symposium took place on May 29th at UConn’s coastal Avery Point campus. The symposium brought together 56 students from four high schools—University High School of Science and Engineering, Waterford High School, Ledyard High School, and The Sound School—to present their yearlong research projects.

 

Students enrolled in UConn’s Marine Science courses (MARN1001E: The Sea Around Us and MARN1003E: Introduction to Oceanography with Lab) shared their work through oral presentations and detailed scientific posters, offering an opportunity to practice communicating science to a broad audience of peers, guests, UConn faculty, and graduate students.

 

MARN 1001E is a marine science course for non-science majors that focuses on human interaction with the marine environment. Over the course of the year, students conducted an in-depth exploration of scientific literature across a range of topics. Their projects examined issues such as climate change impacts on marine species, microplastic pollution, shifting ocean ecosystems, marine conservation and policy, and emerging scientific and medical applications inspired by ocean research. MARN 1003E students presented hands-on research that included ocean acidification resilience, alternatives for fish bait, and even an app developed to identify fish in Long Island Sound.

 

The wide range of topics reflected both the rigor of the coursework and the curiosity of these emerging scientists. By connecting classroom learning with real-world research, the symposium highlighted the value of experiential education. Students left the event with strengthened presentation skills, increased confidence, and a deeper sense of belonging in the scientific community, demonstrating both professionalism and dedication in their work.

 

 

By Dr. Natalia Smirnova, UConn ECE Economics Faculty Coordinator

 

Students enrolled in the UConn Early College Experi­ence Economics courses at Trumbull High School visit­ed the Stamford campus on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Forty-five students and three UConn ECE Economics in­structors arrived in the early morning hours to take part in the extensive “Day at UConn Stamford” event. Many of those students are accepted to the University of Connecti­cut and plan to enroll in the Fall.

 

Stamford Campus Dean, Dr. Jennifer E. Orlikoff, wel­comed the group and set them up for an activity-packed day, which included the campus tour, career panel discus­sion, and attendance of an Economics class.

 

The career panel was moderated by Tara Malone, Direc­tor of the Center for Career Development at Stamford. Three Economics majors shared their experience of obtaining internships and jobs with the help of Career Fairs and Career Center events and services. The students, Liz Maia (’26), Kothan Nieves-Orama (’27), and Alex­ys Williams (’27), talked about the applicability of the Economics major to the broad job market. They answered high school students’ questions about the strategies to be employed at the undergraduate level to secure a job upon graduation. “It is not too early to engage in your career ex­ploration and utilize many resources available on campus to aid you in this endeavor,” was the overall message.

 

Students attended Dr. Knoblauch’s Industrial Organization class and Dr. Smirnova’s Principles of Macroeconomics class. Both classes were engaging and interactive. Trum­bull students were able to join forces with UConn students on various tasks and learn not only the economics materi­al, but also teamwork and communication skills.

 

These competencies are at the heart of Economics students’ preparation for successful careers. Trumbull High School Economics instructors, Mr. Brian Sprinsteen, Mr. Martin Mc­Grath, and Mr. Gregg Basbagill, com­mented that UConn students were leading the collaborative work during the exercises and were enthusiastically mentoring high schoolers.

 

Events like this support the outreach mission of the University and pro­mote cooperative spirit between UCo­nn and the local community.