Fall 2023 PD Overview

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By Stefanie Malinoski

 

This fall in Early College Experience we’ve hosted eighteen professional development workshops for groups of Early College Experience Instructors who offer UConn courses in English, Sustainable Plant and Soil Science, American Studies, Environmental Science, Philosophy, Physics, Economics, Human Rights, European History, Sociology, Animal Science, Communications, Music, Chemistry, Chinese, and Math. Our ECE affiliated library media specialists also met for a virtual training with Babbidge Library staff.  Another twenty-four events are slated to occur during the winter intersession and spring semester either in person or virtually. Notes on some of the events which occurred during the fall semester are below:

 

Sustainable Plant and Soil Science Instructors meet in person at Southington High School with Faculty Coordinator, Julia Kuzovkina. The workshop included diverse activities including a field practicum on analyzing soil for specific purposes, a discussion and update on plant diseases, and learning about new trends in the landscape industry. The group also discussed students’ preparation for future careers in the Green Industry and took part in a hands-on floral workshop where teachers were introduced to beautiful fall arrangements which can be introduced in their Floral Art classes.

 

American Studies Instructors were provided with a copy of Ann Petry’s novel “The Street”. Shawn Salvant, Professor of English, and Africana Studies from UConn spoke to the group about the text and what it means to revisit the classic novel in 2023. Instructors led by Faculty Coordinator Laurie Wolfley then designed curriculum focused on “The Street” which was shared with all participants for future uses in their American Studies classroom.

 

Chemistry Instructors participated in a hands-on lab activity with Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Fatma Selampinar after hearing from Dr. Kerry Gilmore from UConn’s Chemistry Department. Dr. Gilmore’s research surrounds Green Chemistry and its facilitating impact on photochemistry. Dr. Kerry and the Instructors discussed how these chemistries can be performed in the classroom and opened up the discussion for collaborative work in the area in the development of new processes, screening natural catalysts, and bringing advanced chemical processes to their classrooms.

 

Economics Instructors met for their professional development workshop and heard from fellow ECE Instructor Ian Tiedemann from Greenwich High School, Scott A. Wolla, Economic Education Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Ariel Solomon, Curriculum Designer, Marginal Revolution University. Ian Tiedemann highlighted his students’ who created a podcast script for the 2023 issue of the Journal of Future Economists. The theme was “Economics of Globalization”. Ian’s students submitted their podcast script titled “It’s a (s)Mall World: Globalization, E-Commerce, and Shopping Malls” which can be reviewed in the Journal of Future Economists. Scott A. Wolla’s shared a teaching activity “Teaching Market Structures with Gum” and discussed “Monetary Policy has Changed. Has Your Teaching?” Ariel Slonim, Curriculum Designer, Marginal Revolution University presented on: “Supply, Demand, Action! Harnessing interactive tools to teach supply and demand” and “Cracking the Code: Understanding GDP and Inflation through interactive tools.” ECE Faculty Coordinator for Economics, Natalia V. Smirnova discussed “Teaching Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Topics in Economics”.

 

Environmental Science Instructors met with Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Morty Ortega at Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington, CT where they interacted with staff from the Department of Environmental Protection learning about the private lives of bears and bobcats and habitats.

 

Marine Science Instructors set out aboard the “Mystic Seaport Express” captained by Liz Sistare (UConn ’13), Waterfront Operations Supervisor on the Mystic River with Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Claudia Koerting during their professional development workshop. The group of 13 teachers conducted water testing by taking readings using instruments that measure salinity, oxygen, and temperature. They deployed a water sampler to retrieve water samples near the bottom of the river and gathered surface water samples as well. Instructors performed two plankton tows and brought samples back for microscopic evaluation. An additional two sample sites were chosen, and all samples returned with the group to the seaport sailing center where they tested for chlorophyll content using a fluorometer and performed a light/dark experiment with water from two sites. At the sailing center the group ran their analysis, looked at the plankton tow and compared oxygen uptake in the light/dark bottle experiment. Conversations were held about how these samples could inform scientists and regulators about policy guiding water use in the river. By the end of the day Instructors learned a new method, a new instrument, and made new connections and shared ideas to implement in their UConn Marine Science courses.

 

Philosophy Instructors met with Faculty Coordinator Prof. Mitch Green who led a discussion on “post-truth” epistemology after instructors watched, a Ted Talk by UConn Professor Michael Lynch: “How to See Past Your Own Perspective and Find Truth.”

 

More information and pictures from the many professional development workshops hosted this fall can be reviwed on “ECE PD Blog” on the Early College Experience website. Dates for spring workshops will be posted to the ECE website’s “Dates to Remember” section once details are finalized. We look forward to continuing to utilize the winter months with additional virtual workshop opportunities and welcome our community members to campus in the spring for more professional development events.

 

 

 

2023 UConn ECE Cardboard Boat Race

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By Jessica Dunn

 

Amidst a very wet fall season, and a rain delay from our original scheduled date of Friday, September 29th, we were able to host our UConn ECE Cardboard Boat Race at the Avery Point Campus on Friday, October 6th. With over 300 students in attendance, we kicked off the academic year with one of our largest annual student events! This year’s theme, School Mascots, in honor of UConn’s newest addition Jonathan XV, brought about much collaboration, dedication, teamwork, and school spirit which was quite evident as students prepared for and participated in the event. Students spent countless hours prior to race day planning and building their handcrafted cardboard and duct tape boats, and then arrived at the event eager to listen, engage, and share failures and successes with their peers and presenters.

 

Students spent the morning in academic demonstrations and presentations with esteemed UConn faculty and staff, enjoyed lunch, UConn Dairy Bar ice cream, and of course were eager to test out their cardboard boats at race time. Amongst the thirteen participating high schools, 19 boats entered into the race for a chance to be named the 2023 Champions and to take home the coveted Championship Trophy. Teams were recognized with trophies for placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each of the four heats. The 1st place boat in the Championship Race, The Morgan School’s “M.S.S. Dog Pound”, took home the cardboard trophy for the second year in a row! In addition to the awards presented for placing in the races, The Morgan School’s “M.S.S. Dog Pound” took home the Best Visual Award, The Sound School’s “Usain Boat” won the Best Boat Name Award, East Granby High School’s “The Templor Transporter” was awarded the new Interdisciplinary Collaboration Award, and University High School of Science & Engineering’s boat, “The Raging Rooster”, earned the People’s Choice Award.

 

This event would not be possible without the dedication of the UConn ECE Instructors who participate, the UConn Faculty and Staff who share their wisdom and knowledge throughout the day, and the amazing student participants who inspire us to offer opportunities such as the Cardboard Boat Race where they express their enthusiasm for learning and challenge themselves to reach new heights in their educational journey.

 

 

Heat 1 Trophies

  1. Waterford High School- Blue & White Skipper
  2. BRASTEC- ANG Haddock
  3. Ellington High School- The Great Knight Shark

Heat 2 Trophies

  1. The Morgan School- M.S.S. Dog Pound
  2. Waterford High School- Lancer Battle Bus
  3. The Sound School- Usain Boat

Heat 3 Trophies

  1. Valley Regional High School- USS Pags
  2. Waterford High School- S.S. Samuelson
  3. The Sound School- Row v. Wave

Heat 4 Trophies

  1. East Granby High School- The Templor Transporter
  2. Ellington High School- The Dark Knight
  3. Waterford High School- WH-yeS!

 

2023 News to Know

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NACEP Leadership Academy

Christopher Todd was accepted into the 2023 cohort of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) Leadership Academy. Over the course of the next year, Chris will join two dozen emerging leaders from across the nation as they participate monthly topical seminars, peer-to-peer discussion groups and in-person meetings focused on the research and policies which drive concurrent and dual enrollment programs.  As part of the academy, Chris will attend a Washington Policy Summit in April and will be conducting a capstone research project.

 

NACEP National Conference

UConn OECP Executive Director Christopher Todd and UConn ECE Program Specialist for Outreach and Evaluation Carissa Rutkauskas attended the 2023 National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) National Conference October 22-25 in St. Louis, Missouri. Rutkauskas attended the Outdoor Conversations preconference event and Todd attended the first in-person session of the Leadership Academy, followed by the Welcome Reception at Busch Stadium, the legendary home of the St. Louis Cardinals. They were accompanied by Connecticut colleagues Ansley Diamond, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) System and Program Manager for Library Consortium Operations, Patrick Carr, first time NACEP attendees who were making connections with concurrent and dual enrollment for the State.

Welcome & Opening Plenary Shayla Rivera Aerospace Engineer and former Rocket Scientist with NASA turned corporate trainer, Int’l Speaker, TEDx Speaker, TV & Radio Host, Emcee/Host, Comedian, Actor, Writer motivated the audience on day one with the importance of people’s stories and the impact that verbal and non-verbal exchange has on others. Todd and Rutkauskas spent the next two days making connections with professionals from the CSCU System, New England Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NEACEP colleagues), and experts from the field across the country. In addition to wearing his Pedro Martinez Red Sox (#45) Jersey into Busch Stadium, Todd’s highlights of the NACEP conference were meeting his Leadership Academy Cohort colleagues for the first time and deep diving into several key issues during the state policy summit.  Rutkauskas appreciated the data sharing ideas present by Willamette Promise’s Pat Ketcham and Addie Howell and well as learning about IPEDs reporting from Amy Hubbard, Executive Director of Early College, University of Maine System, in the Research Forum.

 

College Credit Self-Tracker

The new College Credit Self-Tracker, developed by UConn ECE, is a google doc-based spreadsheet that students can copy and keep track of the UConn courses they take in high school, along with other college-credit bearing courses­­. s.uconn.edu/self-tracker

 

Concurrent Enrollment Review

Volume 1 of the Concurrent Enrollment Review CER was released in Fall of 2023, with a strong connection to UConn ECE. Brian A. Boecherer, former UConn Office of Early College Programs (OECP) Executive Director and current Chief Executive Officer/Consultant, Olive Shade Higher Education Consulting is the publication’s Editor-in-Chief and Christopher Todd, OECP’s current Executive Director, joins colleagues from Syracuse University, Boise State University, and University of Pittsburgh to serve as an Associate Editor. Carissa Rutkauskas’s, UConn ECE’s Outreach and Evaluation Specialist, with former UConn ECE graduate student, high school teacher, and Labor Organizer with the Connecticut Education Association, Kathrine Grant’s paper Formative Threads in the Tapestry of College Credit in High School: An Early History of the Development of Concurrent Enrollment and a Case Study of the Country’s Oldest Program was included. Their research explores contributing factors to DE/CE development and provides a historical review of the longest running CE program in the United States, the University of Connecticut’s Early College Experience Program, founded in 1955. surface.syr.edu/cer/vol1/iss1/3/

Concurrent Enrollment Review (CER) is the first independent, open access, peer reviewed journal dedicated to research in the field of dual/concurrent enrollment. CER, hosted by Syracuse University Libraries on Berkeley Electronic Press’s Digital Commons platform serves a variety of functions for the broad array of constituents and institutions that comprise the field of dual/concurrent enrollment. CER aims to build community through active readership, scholarship development, publication and peer review (https://surface.syr.edu/cer/about.html).

 

New Courses Offered

ASLN 1102: Elementary American Sign Language II (Dr. Linda Pelletier). Continued development of basic knowledge and understanding of conversational ASL.

CHIN 3210: Chinese Composition & Conversation I  (Dr. Chunsheng Yang). Development of high intermediate to advanced speaking and writing competency. Taught in Chinese.

CHIN 3211: Chinese Composition & Conversation II (Dr. Chunsheng Yang). Development of high intermediate to advanced speaking and writing competency. Taught in Chinese.

KINS 1100: Exercise and Wellness for Everyone (Ms. Allison MacKenzie). Overview of the five pillars of health (exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and relationships); role of exercise in health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan; impacts of exercise in leisure time, culture, community, careers and the workplace.

MATH 1070Q: Mathematics for Business and Economics (Dr. Anthony Rizzie & Dr. Andrew Jaramillo). Linear equations and inequalities, matrices, systems of linear equations, and linear programming; sets, counting, probability and statistics; mathematics of finance; applications to business and economics.

ece.uconn.edu/courses/

French Immersion Day & Quiz Bow

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By Jessica Dunn

 

Just one week after the UConn ECE Italian Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl, we held the French Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl on November 9th. Coordinated and hosted by Dr. Florence Marsal, UConn ECE French Faculty Coordinator, the day was set up in a very similar manner to the Italian event. The French Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl is the longest running UConn ECE student language event, dating back to 2001. Since its creation, several hundred students have participated from dozens of our partner high schools across the state. This year UConn ECE Instructors brought about 80 student participants, representing Lewis S Mills High School, Daniel Hand High School, Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Granby Memorial High School, Cheshire High School, Nathan Hale-Ray High School, Tolland High School, and Edwin O. Smith High School.

 

UConn ECE Students attend this event annually to participate in immersion sessions in the morning facilitated by UConn French Teaching Assistants, and to compete in a head-to-head, jeopardy-style Quiz Bowl in the afternoon. It is evident that the students are passionate about learning French and their Instructors have prepared them well for when they step on stage for the main event. Rules and expectations of the competition have been adjusted throughout the years, but some of the long-standing rules of the Quiz Bowl include:

  1. Teams are open to all registered ECE students with up to 4 students per team.
  2. The questions are set ahead of time: they have to do with history, literature, culture, grammar.
  3. The questions are read in French, and the answers are given in French. Only understandable answers will be accepted.
  4. When you press your buzzer first and it lights up after the end of a question, your team has 10 seconds to answer. If no answer is given, the other team has 10 seconds. If no answer is given then, another question is read.
  5. The first team who totals 5 good answers moves on to the next round. For the final game, the first team who totals 10 good answers wins the quiz bowl.
  6. Audience prompting is not allowed. Cheering yes, prompting no.

     

    This year, Nathan Hale-Ray High School came out on top, bringing home the first-place trophy. Second place was awarded to Daniel Hand High School, and third place went to Edwin O. Smith High School. We commend all students who participated and appreciate the passion and enthusiasm the Instructors and students bring to learning the French language and competing in this event. We are always amazed by the student talent exhibited throughout the event and how the students continuously challenge themselves to reach the next level of language mastery.

    2023 Italian Immersion Day and Quiz Bowl

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    By Jessica Dunn

    Photos by Greg Miller

     

    On November 2, 2023, we welcomed about 75 students to the UConn Storrs Campus for the UConn ECE Italian Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl. Tina Chiappetta-Miller, UConn ECE Italian Faculty Coordinator, coordinated the event and was the Master of Ceremonies for the day. Dr. Chiappetta-Miller and UConn ECE Executive Director,    Christopher Todd, kicked off the day with a warm welcome to all student participants and Instructors from Bristol Central High School, Plainville High School, North Haven High School, and Newington High School. Students were set up for an exciting day full of immersing themselves in Italian culture, grammar, history, and much more. They were encouraged to take full advantage of this opportunity – to interact with the amazing UConn Italian Teaching Assistants who facilitated the morning Immersion Sessions, collaborate with their peers from neighboring Connecticut high schools, and to bring their best to the head-to-head, jeopardy-style Quiz Bowl competition.

     

    The three-year gap in offering this student event made the anticipation that much stronger. When students broke into groups to attend the morning immersion sessions, and Instructors gathered to finalize Quiz Bowl rules and expectations, it was evident that the energy and enthusiasm was present. As lunch concluded and the rules were finalized the students, Instructors, TAs, and staff reconvened in the theatre for the Quiz Bowl. Throughout the competition each high school took to the stage to compete head-to-head with another high school in hopes to buzz in first and answer enough questions correctly to qualify for the next round. Students had limited time to answer questions, and they had to provide their answers in Italian only. Dr. Chiappetta-Miller stated, “the Quiz Bowl ended in no less than a twist when it turned out that Newington and Bristol Central had drawn. We had to go to penalties and the Newington team came out on top!” It was a very exciting and close competition, with Newington High School winning first place, followed by Bristol Central High School in second place, and Plainville High School in third place. A bonus MVP round was played at the end of the event, where individual students competed on stage against one another. Alex from Newington High School was named the MVP of the day.

     

    Thank you and congratulations to all who participated. We look forward to hosting this event again next year!

     

     

     

    Alumni updates – class of 2019

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    Cassandra DiPierro

    High School: Fairfield Warde High School 

    College: Dickinson College, BA in Psychology, 2023

    Favorite UConn ECE Memory: My favorite UConn ECE memories were the role play debates that I participated in for my US History and Modern European History courses.   

    Best UConn ECE Benefit: The most useful benefit of ECE was the college credit I gained, which allowed me to take additional electives in college and further explore my academic interest in public health.  

    What are you currently doing? I am currently pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Toronto in Canada through the support of a Fulbright Graduate Studies Award. With the knowledge I gain from this experience, I hope to work to improve the access and quality of LGBTQ+ healthcare in the United States.  

    Amara McNeil

    High School: Classical Magnet School – Hartford, CT

    College: Fordham University/Lincoln Center – B.A. in Theater Design and Production, 2023

    Favorite UConn ECE memory: My favorite memories are the heated debates that we would all get into in Philosophy class. Even our teacher would get passionate! Everyone cared, and those early conversations sparked a love of philosophy that I carry into my artistry.

    Best UConn ECE benefit/ takeaway: Having an insight into materials, I would be able to study more in-depth in college. There were many moments were I remembered a text or topic that was touched on in my ECE class. 

    What are you currently doing? Now, I am a freelance lighting designer. After wrapping up my post-grad fellowship as the Howell Binkley Fellow, working on shows such as The Wiz and Come From Away tours. I am now prepping my own design here in NYC, as well as getting ready to assist Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons!

    Karissa Touma

    High School: Wolcott High School

    College: Western New England University, B.S. Actuarial Science degree, 2022

    Favorite UConn ECE memory: In one of the UConn ECE courses I took we had a huge party to celebrate everyone passing the final exam! It was so great to celebrate everyone’s hard work in the course and the amazing accomplishment.

    Best UConn ECE benefit/ takeaway: The best UConn ECE benefit was having enough credits to graduate college an entire year earlier than expected. This saved me money in tuition and allowed me to begin my career sooner.

    What are you currently doing: I recently got married in October 2023 and work full time for the Cigna Group as a Senior Actuarial Analyst. I am in a reserving role for our Vision and Individual and Family Plans (IFP) blocks of business. I have passed 6 Actuarial exams, all ASA pathway modules, and 3 VEEs.

    Morgan Nace

    High School: Daniel Hand High School

    College: UConn, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, 2023

    Favorite UConn ECE memory: My favorite UConn ECE memory was getting to do hands on labs in physics.

    Best UConn ECE benefit/ takeaway: The best benefit of my ECE course in physics was learning how to study for freshman year courses at college. Experiencing UConn level exams helped me feel confident for my future after high school.

    What are you currently doing? I am currently a Product Engineer at Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD) in Simsbury, CT. EBAD makes mission critical hardware for the aerospace and defense industry. At EBAD, I get to be on a team that makes separation stages and flight termination systems for launch vehicles and missiles.

    Keegan Eveland

    High School: Middletown High School

    College: University of New Hampshire, B.S. Zoology with a minor in Animal Behavior

    Favorite UConn ECE memory: I really enjoyed learning how to customize and design enrichment suitable for the species that you’re working with. There is something about seeing an animal’s mind at work and how they approach and solve puzzles that is so telling about their perception of the world and gives a glimpse into the inner workings of their cognitive processes.

    Best UConn ECE benefit/ takeaway: Getting to learn about advanced subject matter that I otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to during high school was highly beneficial. Enrolling in dual-enrollment courses guided me to the line of work that I am passionate about and currently work in today.

    What are you currently doing? During my undergrad years, I focused on studying population acoustics of Brazilian Free-Tailed bat swarms in New Mexico, as well as the acoustics of various bat species in Brazil. I got to dip my feet into some field work gathering acoustic data for Little Brown bats in a large hibernacula in Vermont. This year I am a post-baccalaureate research fellow at Johns Hopkins investigating the navigation behaviors of Egyptian Fruit bats. When I am not doing that I also assist in neurological surgeries and experiments for Big Brown bats that are looking at how they process sounds in the auditory pathway of the brain.

    Jonas Goemans

    High School: Edwin O. Smith High School

    College: Hasselt University, Bachelor in Biology, 2023

    Favorite UConn ECE memory: I truly loved taking these advanced classes with like-minded classmates, it made our interactions and lessons really interesting. I would say my favorite memory would be the dissection of a fetal pig in Biology.

    Best UConn ECE benefit/ takeaway: Due to taking these college level courses I was ahead of my cohort when starting my Bachelor in Biology in Belgium.

    What are you currently doing? I am currently doing an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems (TROPIMUNDO). I also recently completed an internship at Chondrolab in Chile studying juvenile sharks and have been pursuing my passion in rock-climbing, both indoors and outdoors.

     

    UConn ECE Offers Additional Courses

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    UConn ECE is continuously partnering with new UConn academic departments to offer additional UConn courses in the high schools. Here are our most recent:
     
    Asian American Studies (Dr. Jason Chang)
    • AAAS 2201: Introduction to Asian American Studies
    A multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary introduction to major themes in Asian American Studies. Concepts of identity and community, migration and labor histories, Asians and the law, representations of Asians in visual and popular culture, gender issues, interracial and interethnic relations, and human rights.
     
     
    Agricultural and Resource Economics (Dr. Emma Bojinova)
    • ARE 2210: Essentials of Accounting and Business
    An analysis of basic business principle, fundamentals, and concepts for agribusiness entrepreneurs.
     
     
    Computer Science and Engineering (Mr. David Strimple)
    • CSE 1010: Introduction to Computing for Engineers
    Introduction to computing logic, algorithmic thinking, computing processes, a programming language and computing environment. Knowledge obtained in this course enables use of the computer as an instrument to solve computing problems. Representative problems from science, mathematics, and engineering will be solved.
     
     
    Communication (Dr. Svetlana Kalnova)
    • COMM 1000: The Process of Communication
    A study of modern communication theories and principles useful in understanding how you affect and are affected by others through communication. Methods to develop your communication skills, the role of technology and media in various aspects of daily life.
    • COMM 1100: Principles of Public Speaking
    Theory and performance in public speaking: methods for organizing presentation and delivery skills, over coming anxiety of speaking in public; audience analysis; maximizing message impact; professional presentation skills; evidence; listening and speech evaluation.
     
     
    English (Dr. Tom Deans)
    • ENGL 3082: Writing Center Practicum
    Introduction to Writing Center pedagogy, theory and research methods. Intended primarily for students staffing UConn ECE Partner School Writing Centers. Students taking this course will be assigned a grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory).
     
     
    Earth Sciences (Dr. Robert Thorson)
    • ERTH 1000E: The Human Epoch: Living in the Anthropocene
    Introduction to geoscience focusing on human activities as agents of geologic change. Examines human planetary processes in our current epoch, the Anthropocene. Provides a novel frame for contemporary environmental issues such as climate change, sustainability, mass extinctions, land use, and waste disposal.
    • ERTH 2800: Our Evolving Atmosphere
    An introduction to atmospheric science, including a history of the field, features of the atmo sphere, weather forecasting, and a geologic history of climate change.

     

    News to Know

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    NEACEP Conference 2023

    In their first post-pandemic regional conference, attendees from the six New England states and beyond gathered at the University of Rhode Island, Feinstein Campus in Providence for the New England Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NEACEP) on Friday, May 5, 2023. The theme was “Upward and Outward” and over a dozen breakout session centered on themes of equity, policy, and teaching and learning. Dianne Lassai Barker, National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) Director of State Engagement, addressed a group of nearly 100 people with an overview of NACEP and thoughts on equity and inclusion. UConn ECE was well-represented: on the planning committee, as a sponsor, and through presentations. University High School of Science & Engineering (Hartford) Principal, Sean Tomany, and UConn ECE American Studies Instructor, Jennifer Todisco, presented “Expanding ECE Offerings and Equity”; Jake Skrzypiec and Sarah Wiederecht (Manchester High School) and Chris Buckley (Brookfield High School) UConn ECE Human Rights Instructor presented “Building Bridges: Human Rights & the Early College Experience Classroom”; and our own, Chris Todd, represented UConn ECE in two sessions. His first presentation, “Navigating the Tide: Expanding Pathways to Concurrent Instructor Certification in an Era of Teacher Uncertainty,” Todd spoke to the struggle with the recruitment and retention of teachers. He was also part of a panel for the “Expanding Pathways to Postsecondary Readiness through Dual Credit” session with others from the state: Ajit Gopalakrishnan, CT State Department of Education; John Maduko, President, CT State Community College; Anne Dichele, Quinnipiac University, CT; Karen Hynick, CEO, Quinebaug Valley Community College; and Thomas Coley, Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Enterprise Performance, CT State Community College.

     

    UConn Pre-College Summer

    UConn Pre-College Summer (PCS) is growing with options! With over 30 course offerings for students to experience in the areas of Fine Arts, Digital Media, Pre-Med, STEM, and Social Sciences, we are also now offering a credit course option. Students now have the opportunity to earn two credits by taking the AH 2001: Medical Terminology course. The course provides an introduction to and mastery of medical terminology. Students will be studying the location, functions, terminology and pathology of the organs of the various systems of the body. In a unique two-week format, the course will be delivered in a distance learning model during the first week followed by a second week of a hands-on, residential experience. To check out the full list of course offerings visit, pcs.uconn.edu/courses/. (contributed by Melanie Banks)

    Italian Studies Workshop

    This winter, Italian Studies at UConn (ILCS) launched a pilot Professional Development workshop series for teachers of Italian across Connecticut and the Tri-State area. The series, entitled, “Lasciatemi cantare: Teaching Italian Language and Culture through Music,” was generously supported by funds from the Consulate General of Italy in NY and ECE and was delivered in hybrid form – simultaneously online and in person. The workshop’s four Saturday morning sessions in January and February focused on using music theory and Italian theater, opera, and popular music in the language classroom. UConn Italian Ph.D. candidates David Lara and Rosy Pitruzzello (who is also a Plainville HS teacher) led two sessions each with presentations and interactive exercises aimed at expanding the didactic benefits of incorporating different kinds of music into language instruction. The combination of language pedagogy, songs, and music videos led to lively discussions among the participants, all of whom came away with access to new materials, a collaborative space for continued development, and many practical applications for their classrooms. ILCS hopes to bring the workshop back next year with a different topic of focus. Please contact Tina Chiappetta-Miller with any suggestions at: concetta.chiappetta-miller@uconn.edu (contributed by Tina Chiappetta-Miller)

     

    Congratulations to our UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators on their promotions

    Promotion to Associate Professor In-Residence

    - Dr. Emma Bojinova, Agricultural and Resource Economics

    Promotion to Professor

    - Dr. Oksan Bayulgen, Political Science

    Promotion to Professor In-Residence

    - Dr. Fatma Selampinar, Chemistry

    Congratulations to Educational Lead­ership UConn ECE Faculty Coordina­tor, Dr. Danielle DeRosa, for defend­ing her dissertation, Exploring Sense of Community for Undergraduate Women in Sport Management.

    TEDx Talk

    UConn ECE HDFS 1070: Individual & Family Development Instructor, Mr. Becker, from Daniel Hand High School gave a TEDx Talk about his passion for wellness and journey on becoming a teacher, called The skill of wellness: maximizing your health to benefit the world. He talks about, “How a transformational moment at 15 would inspire my life’s work… I teach to enhance the wellness of my students; I coach to help students be­come respectful, responsible, honest, & caring people who will impact the world for good.”

    News to Know

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    NEACEP Conference 2023

    In their first post-pandemic regional confer­ence, attendees from the six New England states and beyond gathered at the University of Rhode Island, Feinstein Campus in Providence for the New England Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NEACEP) on Friday, May 5, 2023. The theme was “Up­ward and Outward” and over a dozen breakout session centered on themes of equity, policy, and teaching and learning. Dianne Lassai Barker, Na­tional Alliance of Concurrent Enroll­ment Partnerships (NACEP) Director of State Engagement, addressed a group of nearly 100 people with an overview of NACEP and thoughts on equity and inclusion. UConn ECE was well-represented, on the planning committee, as a sponsor, and through presentations. University High School of Science & Engineering (Hartford) Principal, Sean Tomany, and UConn ECE American Studies Instructor, Jennifer Todisco, presented “Expand­ing ECE Offerings and Equity”; Jake Skrzypiec and Sarah Wiederecht (Manchester High School) and Chris Buckley (Brookfield High School) UConn ECE Human Rights Instruc­tor presented “Building Bridges: Human Rights & the Early College Experience Classroom”; and our own, Chris Todd, represented UConn ECE in two sessions. His first presentation, “Navigating the Tide: Expanding Pathways to Concurrent Instructor Certification in an Era of Teacher Un­certainty,” Todd spoke to the struggle with the recruitment and retention of teachers. He was also part of a panel for the “Expanding Pathways to Postsecondary Readiness through Dual Credit” session with others from the state: Ajit Gopalakrishnan, CT State Department of Education; John Maduko, President, CT State Com­munity College; Anne Dichele, Quin­nipiac University, CT; Karen Hynick, CEO, Quinebaug Valley Community College; and Thomas Coley, Executive Vice President of Strategic Partner­ships and Enterprise Performance, CT State Community College.

     

    UConn Pre-College Summer PCS is growing with options! With over 30 course of­ferings for students to experience in the areas of Fine Arts, Digital Media, Pre-Med, STEM, and Social Scienc­es, we are also now offering a credit course option. Students now have the opportunity to earn two credits by taking the AH 2001: Medical Termi­nology course. The course provides an introduction to and mastery of medical terminology. Students will be studying the location, functions, ter­minology and pathology of the organs of the various systems of the body will be studied. In a unique two-week format, the course will be delivered in a distance learning model during the first week followed by a second week of a hands-on, residential experience. To check out the full list of course of­ferings visit, pcs.uconn.edu/courses/. (contributed by Melanie Banks)

     

    Italian Studies Workshop This winter, Italian Studies at UConn (ILCS) launched a pilot Professional Development workshop series for teachers of Italian across Connecticut and the Tri-State area. The series, en­titled, “Lasciatemi cantare: Teaching Italian Language and Culture through Music,” was generously supported by funds from the Consulate General of Italy in NY and ECE and was deliv­ered in hybrid form – simultaneously online and in person. The workshop’s four Saturday morning sessions in January and February focused on using music theory and Italian the­ater, opera, and popular music in the language classroom. UConn Italian Ph.D. candidates David Lara and Rosy Pitruzzello (who is also a Plainville HS teacher) led two sessions each with presentations and interactive ex­ercises aimed at expanding the didac­tic benefits of incorporating different kinds of music into language instruc­tion. The combination of language pedagogy, songs, and music videos led to lively discussions among the participants, all of whom came away with access to new materials, a collab­orative space for continued develop­ment, and many practical applications for their classrooms. ILCS hopes to bring the workshop back next year with a different topic of focus. Please contact Tina Chiappetta-Miller with any suggestions at: mailto:concetta.chiappetta-miller@uconn.edu (con­tributed by Tina Chiappetta-Miller)

     
    Congratulations to our UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators on their promotions

    • Promotion to Associate Professor In-Residence

    - Emma Bojinova, Agricultural and Resource Economics

    • Promotion to Professor

    - Oksan Bayulgen, Political Science

    • Promotion to Professor In-Residence

    - Fatma Selampinar, Chemistry

     
    Congratulations to Educational Lead­ership UConn ECE Faculty Coordina­tor, Dr. Danielle DeRosa, for defend­ing her dissertation, Exploring Sense of Community for Undergraduate Women in Sport Management.

     

     
    UConn ECE HDFS 1070: Individual & Family Development Instructor, Mr. Becker, from Daniel Hand High School gave a TEDx Talk about his passion for wellness and journey on becoming a teacher, called The skill of wellness: maximizing your health to benefit the world. He talks about, “How a transformational moment at 15 would inspire my life’s work… I teach to enhance the wellness of my students; I coach to help students be­come respectful, responsible, honest, & caring people who will impact the world for good.”

     

    Connecticut History Day Returns to Storrs

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    By Christopher Todd | Body and participant data by Cyndee McManaman, CT History Day Regional Coordinator

     

    On a brisk Saturday at the onset of UConn’s spring break, over 200 students accom­panied by family, friends and educators descended upon UConn’s Storrs Campus to participate in the Connecticut History Day’s Mansfield/Storrs Regional Contest. Organized by the Connecticut Democra­cy Center, in partnership with the De­partment of History at UConn as well as UConn’s Office of Early College Programs, Connecticut History Day (CHD) success­fully returned to in-person on the Storrs campus after a three-year hiatus during the Covid pandemic.

    Connecticut History Day

    Connecticut History Day is an affiliate program of National History Day (NHD) which annually engages nearly 5,000 middle and high school students in histor­ical research, interpretation, and creative expression through project-based learning. As stated by the CHD, the program seeks to bring students, teachers, museums, and scholars together to support young peo­ple as they engage in history. Led by the Connecticut Democracy Center, CHD is presented with major funding and partner­ship support from CT Humanities.
     
    CHD offers a wide array of free resources for teachers and students to assist them with the History Day process, including:

     

    • Teacher Handbook (English and Spanish)
    • Student Handbook (English and Spanish)
    • Educator Workshops
    • In-class student workshops
    • Digital resources for research and writing

     
    Mansfield/Storrs Regional Competition
     
    Throughout the Northeastern Con­necticut Region, 23 teachers repre­senting 27 schools brought History Day into their classrooms during the 2022-2023 school year. The North­eastern region supported 536 of the statewide 4670 school-level partici­pants, with 224 students attending the Mansfield/Storrs Regional Contest at UConn on Saturday, March 11th. In all, CHD held 6 regional contests around the state with the state con­test held at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) on May 6th. As 47 Connecticut students head to Univer­sity Maryland – College Park this June for the National Contest, 22 of them are students from the Northeastern Region.
     
    Because of the unique design of CHD, teachers have the flexibility of using the History Day program in a format that meets their diverse needs: inte­grated into the content area or hon­ors/enrichment curriculum or as an after-school activity or club. Students have the flexibility of working alone or in a small group to create a project in one of five formats: documentary, exhibit, historical paper, dramatic per­formance, or a website. The students select a topic that interests them and then use the annual theme as a lens through which to view and analyze their research and frame their projects.
     

     
    While at the Mansfield/Storrs Region­al Contest, CHD teachers Dr. Matt Cieslowski (UConn AMST 1201:  Seminar in America Studies) and Ian Webster (UConn HIST 1501 & 1502: US History to 1877 & Since 1977; HRTS 1007: Intro to Human Rights) from Manchester High School were recognized as this year’s recipients of the Patricia Behring History Day Teacher of the Year Award-Senior Division for Connecticut. Patricia Behring was a longtime benefactor of National History Day, and each affiliate selects a teacher for the Junior and Senior divisions to then compete for the honor of becoming recognized as the National History Day Teacher of the Year at the national contest in June.
     
    It was wonderful to support the return of CHD’s Mansfield/Storrs Regional Contest to the Storrs UConn campus. All the hard work and planning by participants, families and program staff alike translated into an amazing day for CHD. Who better to share some highlight than the participants themselves.

     
    Comments from students at the Mansfield Regional Contest:

     
    “The thing I liked best about the Re­gional Contest was that I got to be an expert on a topic I had a lot of inter­est in. I truly feel like I know a large amount of information regarding my topic and am happy to have this knowl­edge that really no other experience could provide me with.”

     
    “I thought that it was really fun to be a part of something that so many people were invested in and took so much pride in being a part of this contest.”

     
    “The thing that I liked best about the contest is that I got to do a project on a topic of my choosing.”

     

     
    Comments from parents at the Mansfield Regional Contest:

     
    “She gained significant research and writing experience, honed her time management skills, speaking with judges was a good public speaking experience.”

     

    “Great learning and growing experience! An overall beneficial experience in character building.”

     

    Comments from teachers at the Mansfield Regional Contest:

     
    “History Day offers a variety of academic challenges for students. Developing a long-term, well-researched project is quite a daunting task for students who often have been asked [at best] to complete a ‘research’ project over the course of a few weeks. Scheduling time to work on a project over a few months’ time and meeting deadlines for registration, paper­work upload and finally project submission is an excellent learning experience for all participants.”

     
    “Participation in History Day enhanced their research skills and attention to detail in formal academic work; challenged them to reach higher standards for their work.”

     
    Comments from judges at the Mansfield Regional Contest:

     
    “As a future teacher, I found it a great experience not only the judging but also seeing the students work, and talking with other professionals in History, and hearing not only their approach to judging but what they do in their work and their experiences. It’s a great way to connect with people!”

     
    “I am always so impressed by the students’ knowledge, level of commitment, and energy.”