By Jessica Dunn

 

On Friday, September 20, 2024 UConn ECE hosted our annual UConn ECE Cardboard Boat Race at the UConn Avery Point Campus drawing just over 400 attendees in­cluding students and instructors from 12 different UConn ECE high school partners from across the state. We were also joined by UConn Avery Point and Storrs Administrators, faculty, and staff, and a very special Guest of Honor, Jonathan XV!

 

With an energetic crowd and a packed agenda of academ­ic presentations, the event was a true celebration of both scholarship and creativity. We are grateful for the unwav­ering support of our UConn ECE partners and colleagues who make this event possible year after year.

The day began with a warm welcome from Chris Todd, Executive Director of the Office of Early College Programs, and Dan Mercier, Director of Academic Affairs at UConn Avery Point. Their inspiring remarks set the tone for the day and encouraged students to embrace the opportunities to collaborate with their peers and engage in collegiate experiences.

 

After the welcome, students transitioned from the beautiful Gazebo Lawn, overlooking the mouth of the Thames River, to the classroom where they heard from distinguished UConn Faculty. Presentations covered a variety of topics related to the event, such as engineering, politics, history, and archaeology. The morning sessions featured:

• Professor Kroum Batchvarov – Black Sea MAP Project
• Professor Matthew McKenzie – Navigating the Past: A Seafarer’s Approach to Studying History
• Professor Frank Griggs – Maritime Politics: Making Waves of Progress?
• Professor David Giblin – Engineering a Cardboard Race Boat: A detailed look at the mechanics, constraints, trade-offs, and decision-making.

These sessions helped students dive deep into the academic topics related to maritime studies, engineering, and more setting them up for the afternoon’s hands-on competition.

 

The theme for this year’s race was “Chariots Afloat”, in honor of the Paris 2024 Olympics and as a fun nod to the iconic movie Chariots of Fire. Students arrived prepared, having carefully designed and built boats made solely of cardboard and duct tape. They also came up with creative boat names to fit the theme. Just as we had hoped, the students came to the event well-prepared and determined to persevere in the infamous Cardboard Boat Race.

 

Among the twelve participating high schools, 24 boats competed for the coveted Cardboard Trophy. The Morgan School had proudly displayed the trophy for the past two years hoping to bring it back home for the third year in a row. Although the competition was tight, and The Morgan School placed in two of the four heats, Daniel Hand High School broke their streak and brought home the Cardboard Trophy as the winners of the Championship Race! Daniel Hand High School’s Usain Boat set the record for the fastest completion time during the initial heats, and then took first in the Championship race as well. They will display the Cardboard Trophy until next year, when a plaque with their school and boat name will be affixed to the trophy, and then be passed along to the 2025 Champions!

 

Thank you to all our UConn ECE partners for your support in making this event a success year after year. Kicking off the school year with over 400 UConn ECE Students on our UConn Avery Point Campus is a true testament to the strength of our community and to the dedicated and passionate students we serve. Congratulations to all participating schools and teams!

 

Heat 1 Trophies

#1 The Narwheel – Bethel High School

#2 Fish N’ Chips – Ledyard High School

#3 ROB (Recycled Olympic [village] Bed) – Daniel Hand High School

 

Heat 2 Trophies

#1 Gold Medal Cruiser – The Morgan School

#2 Banana Keel – Ellington High School

#3 Seiugis – Bethel High School

 

Heat 3 Trophies

#1 The Floating Scotsman – Ellington High School

#2 LeBoat James – Manchester High School

#3 Steeple Chasers – East Granby High School

 

Heat 4 Trophies

#1 Usain Boat – Daniel Hand High School

#2 Socra-Seas (SS) – Bethel High School

#3 Poseidon’s Champion – The Morgan School

 

Championship Race Usain Boat – Daniel Hand High School

Best Visual Design Award Rowe v Wave – Daniel Hand High School

Best Boat Name Award Sorcra-Seas (SS) – Bethel High School

Interdisciplinary Collaboration Award – Daniel Hand High School

People’s Choice Award Trident’s Point – University High School

 

 

 

 

By Jessica Dunn

 

On October 24, the University of Connecticut’s Early College Experience (ECE) Program Office along with UConn ECE Italian Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Tina Chiappetta-Miller, hosted the highly anticipated 3rd annual Italian Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl. The event, which took place at UConn’s Storrs campus in the Student Union Theatre, set a record for participation. Over 100 students from six high schools across Connecticut came together for a day of competitive fun, language immersion, and cultural celebration.

 

At this year’s event we welcomed students from Bristol Central High School, Newington High School, Plainville High School, Holy Cross High School, Torrington High School, and Southington High School. After the welcoming remarks, the students broke up into several small groups to sit in on Ital­ian language classes with UConn graduate teaching assistants. This unique opportunity to experience college learning in an authentic college environment is a highlight of the partnership between UConn’s ECE program and Connecticut high schools.

 

After lunch, the head-to-head showdown of the Quiz Bowl took center stage in the theatre, where the atmosphere was electric. Excitement among the students was clear as teams answered questions cover­ing everything from grammar and vocabulary to Italian history and geography. The competition was tight and in the end a tiebreaker was needed to separate 2nd and 3rd place.

Holy Cross High School finished in first place, Bristol Central High School in second, and third place went to Pla­inville High School. The MVP round was also quite lively, with Luis Hysen­llari of Plainville High School taking home the medal.

 

UConn ECE Italian Immersion Day & Quiz Bowl serves as an important opportunity for high school students to deepen their understanding of the culture while strengthening their lan­guage skills in Italian. With about 15 high schools in Connecticut offering ECE Italian as part of their curriculum this year, it was inspiring to see so many students and instructors in attendance, celebrating their shared passion for the language.

 

We are so pleased that this event continues to grow in popularity. As part of our mission to foster a strong community of students and educators dedicated to advancing their understanding of Italian language and culture, we look forward to bringing it to you every year. The experience is not only an academic challenge but also an unforgettable cultural exchange that leaves partici­pants with lasting memories and a deeper appreciation of Italian.

 

Congratulations to the 2024 winners and many thanks to all this year’s participants.

 

 

 

 

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.”

 

By Carissa Rutkauskas

 

Welcome Woodhouse Academy and a Warm Welcome Back to 6 Returning Partners!

UConn ECE is proud to announce Woodhouse Academy in Milford has joined our network of partners this year, offering KINS1100: Exercise and Wellness for Everyone to their stu­dents. In addition, we are thrilled to welcome back six previous partners— Bassick High School, Darien High School, Eli Whitney Technical High School, Vinal Technical High School, Wilbur Cross High School, and Weav­er High School —who will continue to provide their students with access to UConn courses through the ECE program.

 

An update on By the Numbers

One of the most anticipated features of the UConn ECE Magazine Winter edition has been our By the Numbers article, which highlights key statistics including student enrollment, course sections, instructors, and the highly anticipated Top Ten lists. This year, for the first time, this data will be included in the Spring edition of the magazine. Beginning in the 2023-24 academic year, UConn ECE incor­porated a Spring Course Adjustment Period in which students can add or drop a Spring course, thus allowing for a more accurate snapshot of en­rollment by March.

 

Although numbers aren’t finalized yet, we are, however, happy to share that student enrollment continues to increase, breaking our all-time record of the number of students enrolled in a UConn course in their high school.

 

Amy Bigelow of Franklin Academy Attends Computer Science Teachers Association of New England Conference

Ms. Bigelow is certified to teach UConn CSE1010: Introduc­tion to Computing for Engineers, MATH1030Q: Elementary Discrete Mathematics, MATH1131Q: Cal­culus I, MATH1132Q: Calculus II, MATH2110Q: Multivariable Calculus, STAT1100Q: Elementary Concepts of Statistics

Yet again, I am so appreciative of the UConn ECE program’s incredi­ble support of teachers’ professional development. I attended my first-ever Computer Science Teachers Asso­ciation of New England conference in Boston, and it was a wonderful experience! The presentations and workshops focused on AI as a tech­nical skill set (instead of a consum­er skillset) and teaching machine learning were particularly valuable. They were full of so many engaging and relevant activities that applied the foundational concepts of functions and if-else statements from CSE 1010. The discussions on the ethical use of AI were rich and thought-provoking. As a first-year CSE teacher working to build our school’s computer science offerings, I also found the panel dis­cussion of “Strengthening the Com­puter Science Pathway from High School to College” especially helpful. Overall, the entire event was incred­ibly positive and supportive! It was a fantastic way to spend a Saturday, and I feel energized and confident to return to the classroom knowing what to stress and with many more connec­tions and ideas for extensions. Thank you for supporting this opportunity!

 

Andrew Morehouse of The Woodstock Academy Attends American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages

Mr. Morehouse is certified to teach UConn CAMS3102: Topics in Advanced Latin

I had an enriching experience at the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) conven­tion held in Philadelphia, PA, where I connected with similarly enthusiastic educators from across the country. The event was a fantastic opportunity to exchange ideas and build rela­tionships with colleagues dedicated to advancing language education. I attended engaging sessions focused on equitable practices in language teaching, gaining valuable insights into creating more inclusive and accessible learning environments for students of diverse backgrounds. A standout moment for me was a thought-provoking presentation on integrating AI in the classroom. It highlighted how we as teachers can integrate AI into our curricular plan­ning to create evergreen lessons that reduce the cognitive load and the workload of teachers. The experience reinforced the importance of col­laboration and staying current with evolving methodologies in language education and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Jessica Chapman of Norwich Free Academy Awarded 2024 Milken Educator Award for Connecticut

Ms. Chapman is certified to teach UConn SOCI1001: Introduction to Sociology

Congratulations to Ms. Chapman for being selected as the recipient of the Milken Educator Award, awarded to “early-to-mid career education pro­fessionals for their already impressive achievements and, more significant­ly, for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future” (Milken webpage, 2024). To read more about Ms. Chapman’s accomplishments, vis­it the Connecticut Education Associa­tion (CEA) website’s article, Norwich Free Academy Teacher Surprised with $25,000 Award (CEA, 2024).

 

UConn ECE Data Dashboard is Now Live!

We are excited to announce that UConn ECE data is now publicly accessible through two interactive dashboards available in the Data & Research section on ece.uconn.edu:

1. UConn ECE High School Part­ner Profiles – Featuring data for the 2023-24 school year, including student, course, and school infor­mation.
2. Ten-Year Trends – Showing student and course data over the past decade, with the ability to drill down by county, school size, city/ town, and year-over-year growth.

These dashboards, created by Busi­ness Analytics & Project Management graduate student Siva Sekhar Mediset­ty, offer an in-depth look at UConn ECE’s reach and impact. Please note that data included in the UConn ECE data dashboards captures only UConn Early College Experience data and differs from Connecticut State Department of Education’s Ed Sight UConn Dual Credit Courses Complet­ed data. Ed Sight’s dashboard differs from the UConn ECE in that UConn ECE includes private schools and does not include other credit-bearing opportunities offered to high school students.

The two UConn ECE data dashboards will be updated with the 2024-25 data in April 2025, and we are excited to share that UConn ECE data will be included nationally, in the 2025 IP­EDS report on Dual Enrollment.

 

New Courses

ME 3295: Special Topics in Mechani­cal Engineering (3 credits)

• SolidWorks for Industrial De­sign option
• AutoCAD for Industrial Design option

NUSC 1165: Fundamentals of Nutrition (3 credits)

• An introduction to the princi­ples and concepts of nutrition with emphasis on the nature and function of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins, and their application to the human organism.

 

Concurrent Enrollment Review

Volume 2 of Concurrent Enrollment Review, the first independent, open access, peer reviewed journal dedicated to research in the field of dual/concurrent enrollment is now available at surface.syr.edu/cer.

 

NACEP 2024 Conference, Orlando

The 2024 National Alliance of Con­current Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) national conference was held in Orlando, Florida this year from October 27 through October 29, 2024. The theme of the conference was Spotlighting the Student Expe­rience. The Office of Early College Program’s Early College Experience’s Christopher Todd, Jessica Dunn, and Carissa Rutkauskas had the oppor­tunity Academy and present his capstone project, “Navigating the Tide: Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Instruc­tor Certification in an Era of Teacher Uncertainty”. Chris’s project will result in a forthcoming NACEP Policy Brief and NACEP Webinar on strategies for State, District and Educator Prepara­tion Program leaders to mitigate the impacts of teacher shortages on dual credit access. Regarding the confer­ence, he states, “NACEP is an incredi­ble opportunity for practitioners from across the nation to come together and explore best practices in the Dual and Concurrent Enrollment space. While UConn’s Office of Early College Programs is recognized as a national leader, the team and I always walk away feeling inspired and re-imagin­ing ways to better support our partner schools, students and instructors.”

Jessica was excited to return to the NACEP Conference this year and honored to attend along with 1,200 other partners. The last time Jess was able to attend, the participant count was in the 800s, but this year’s re­cord-breaking registration of 1,200 secondary partners, DE/CE programs, district administrators, and consul­tants is a true testament to how the country has embraced these programs and their partners’ commitment to improvement to elevate the student experience. Jess notes, “it was eye opening and encouraging to engage in conversations focused on students and their experiences with dual and concurrent enrollment programs. It was particularly interesting to learn new student advising practices in the field, and I am excited to work on implementing new practices and resources for our UConn ECE Stu­dents.”

 

Carissa had the opportunity to con­nect with the New England Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partner­ship (NEACEP) board members and work on the organization’s by-laws. The conference presentation on lever­aging artificial (AI) was the highlight for her, where she learned about such tools as Adobe Firefly (prompt-based image generator) and Apple’s Pi (chatbot providing emotional and factual support), MicroSoft’s Co-Pi­lot (AI-powered productivity tool) and Google’s NotebookLM (which can produce podcasts from upload­ed documents) from colleagues. She echoes one presenter’s comments that takeaways, connections, and ideas gathered from the NACEP conference is something that fills her cup for 6 months and then she spends the next 6 months looking forward to the next one!

 

2025 NAECEP Call for Proposals and Conference

The New England Alliance of Con­current Enrollment Partnerships is preparing to open a call for proposals for their 2025 conference just after the new year. The one-day conference is traditionally held on a Friday and is anticipated to take place in the Boston area in the spring. To keep up to date with dates and deadlines, follow NEACEP on LinkedIn, become a NEACEP member at no cost, and/or join the NEACEP listserv. Additional information can be found at nacep. org/neacep.

 

Ramona Puchalski Piretti of Conard High School Presents at the National Council of Teachers of English Conference

Ms. Puchalski Piretti is certified to teach UConn ENGL1007: Seminar and Studio in Academic Writing and Multimodal Composition.

The conference is a vital event to engage with fellow English educa­tors and supporters, particularly in a moment in history when the very work we do and the pathways we travel to do it are under attack. While at the conference I presented on the coursework I have created for my ECE course alongside two other bril­liant fellow ECE educators who are also in the secondary classroom, Arri Weeks and Emily Genser. In addition, I attended multiple presentations to further my own practice and engage my inquiry skills around how to grow my skills and pedagogy. Beyond that, I also did three additional presenta­tions each of which included course­work, mindsets and practices which are central to my ECE course; the work was well-received and provided some tremendous networking op­portunities for the near and distant future. As an Asian educator, I value the opportunity to represent my heri­tage in the classroom and beyond it at events such as NCTE.

 

I want to also say “thank you” for the financial assistance to attend this important learning and networking event.