By Alexandra Torres Munoz, UConn ’25 (CAHNR) (CLAS)

 

On March 17, 2026, the UConn ECE Program and Math Faculty Coordinators launched a new event—and (hopefully!) a future annual tradition—the UConn ECE Integration Bee. After an initial attempt to host the event in 2025 was canceled due to scheduling challeng­es, the first-ever iteration this spring went un-BEE-lievably well. Approximately 60 students from 5 high schools attended, and we hope to see even more join the competition next year.

This event was inspired by UConn’s annual In­tegration Bee, hosted each fall by the American Mathematical Society (AMS) Graduate Student chapter of the Math Department. The com­petition is open to all undergraduate students to tackle some tricky integrals and to earn some cool prizes! The event is open to anyone, but it is strongly advised that anyone participating has completed (at least) Math 1132Q: Calculus II.

 

We decided to adapt this event into a friendly competition open to any UConn ECE Math students that are currently enrolled in Calculus II, and we hosted the event during UConn’s spring break to make campus travel a bit easier (besides, we figured the participants wouldn’t mind a day off school to go do extra hard math prob­lems, right? …right?).

 

The competition began with a written qualifying round open to all student attendees. The top scoring students were then invited to compete in the first round (the highest score was a 5 out of 10, which was truly impres­sive!), where they worked individ­ually at the whiteboard, competing in groups of six at a time, to solve staggeringly difficult integrals. The first to finish a problem correctly earned a point, and the best one or two students from each group moved to the next round.

 

The final round was a head-to-head match between Chidubem from Fairchild Wheeler High School and Tommy from Trumbull High School. Despite a few questions stumping both competitors, we were able to crown a champion!

 

Trophies were awarded for the top three finishers—first place went to Chidubem from Fairchild Wheeler High School, second place to Tom­my from Trumbull High School, and third place to Ted from Trumbull High School—along with some awe­some medals for the top 10 partici­pants (which hopefully helped take away the STING of defeat!).

 

Thank you so very much to the amaz­ing staff in the UConn ECE office for helping us to organize and run the event and thank you to all the instruc­tors and students who helped us make this first Integration Bee a resounding success. We look forward to hosting the event again in March 2027! Will the integrals be even more diabolical- you’ll have to find out then!

 

By Danielle DeRosa, Assistant Professor in Residence, Sport Management and UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Educational Leadership and Gemetta Neal Goulet, CREC Greater Academy of the Arts, EDLR 1162 Health & Education in Urban Communities UConn Instructor

 

At CREC Greater Hartford Arts Academy High School, Gemetta Neal Goulet, fond­ly known by her students as Mrs. G, has transformed her UConn course offered through Early College Experience course into a pathway to purpose. Beyond the opportunity for students to earn college credits by engaging in college course­work, Mrs. G uses the classroom as a space to bridge academic learning with real-world application. EDLR 1162: Health & Education in Urban Communities pro­vides a meaningful lens for students to examine topics like access to healthcare, mental health awareness, nutrition, and community wellness. Instead of learn­ing these concepts in isolation, students are encouraged to think critically about how these topics are experienced within their own lives, neighborhood, and larger society. This relevance increases engage­ment and gives their learning a deeper sense of value.

 

A major way that the coursework is brought to life is through the course’s service-learning com­ponent, which brings together learning from the course and engages students within their community. Rather than relying solely on traditional instruction, the course encourages students to investigate real problems, collaborate with peers, and create solutions that have tan­gible outcomes. Incorporating service-learning strengthens the connection between the classroom and the community by engaging students in mean­ingful experiences that address real community needs. Through collaboration with community partners, students deepen their learning while developing a greater sense of civic responsi­bility, empathy, and commitment to creating positive social im­pact.

 

Since its inception in the 2022-2023 academic year, students enrolled in EDLR 1162 have cre­ated projects that touch on mental health, opioid addiction, and obesity. Modeled in a gal­lery walk format, the students create a day of learning for their peers and the larger community. These projects push students to think beyond memorization—they analyze, create, and apply. Elke Hernandez, Instructional Coach, shares, “Mrs. G’s (UConn) ECE Health projects turn real-world health challenges—mental health, opioids, social media, and gambling, to name a few—into student-led action. Students design, plan, and execute every­thing from events to advertising and media. These projects bring the community together, foster collaboration across subjects, and build transferable skills while making complex health topics engaging, creative, and mean­ingful.”

 

Most recently, students who took EDLR 1162 in fall 2025 explored the impacts of youth gambling, with specific focus in better understanding how the nega­tive impacts of youth gambling are amplified when considering racial and socio-economic dis­parities. Not only did the students create posters to engage in a school-wide presentation for peers, administrators, and district leaders; they also had the opportunity to visit the State Capitol to meet with Representative McCarthy Vahey to share their research and experience in the course. Carter Stevens describes EDLR 1162 as “a class that matters.” Angeliz Rivera shares that EDLR 1162 “was different from my other classes because it focused more on real-world experiences instead of just textbook learning. It is more hands-on, allowing me to apply what I’ve learned in actual urban settings. It also emphasizes diversity, culture, and challenges in urban communities, which my other classes don’t focus on as much. Overall, it feels more practical because I’m solving real problems and reflecting on my own experiences.”

 

Through her innovative teaching, Mrs. G has created an educational experience for her students that allows them to explore issues that directly impact their communities while building the skills they need for life beyond high school. The service-learning component develops essential skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management. Students learn how to divide responsibilities, hold each other accountable, and present their ideas with confidence. These are the same skills they will need in college courses and future careers. Mrs. G shares, “What I appreciate most is watching students take ownership of their learning. When given the space to explore and create, they begin to see themselves as capable of making an impact. They are no longer just completing assignments—they are engaging with content that matters.

 

 

 

 

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. 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 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 Janet Belval, CT State Director, CT Science Olympiad, UConn ECE Instructor at South Windsor High School

UConn Early College Experience was proud to host the 2026 Connecticut State Science Olym­piad Competition. This premier annual event brought together some of the brightest young minds from across the state to showcase their scientific skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork. The day was filled with immense excitement, collaboration, and intense competi­tion as these budding scientists left no stone unturned in their quest for victory.

 

Science Olympiad is a highly regarded competition that challenges students across a wide ar­ray of scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and more. With an impressive lineup of more than 23 distinct events, the participants were required to exhibit rigorous content knowledge, innovation, and analytical thinking. Over 50 dedicated Science Olympiad teams from around the state prepared for months leading up to the event, showcas­ing a remarkable commitment to excellence.

 

Tournament Champions & Highlights

 

The battle for the state title showed incredible depth this season, culminating in a spectacular repeat victory.

 

Division C (High School): South Windsor High School fiercely defended their title to emerge once again as the Division C State Winners. They will advance to proudly represent Connecti­cut at the National Tournament.

 

Igniting Curiosity and Inspiring the Future

 

Participating in Science Olympiad is far more than just a bid for med­als. It is a profound opportunity for young minds to explore their passions and ignite a lifelong curiosity about the world around them. Teams are pushed to their limits in structural building and engineering events, and rigorous written examinations and hands-on experimental design.

 

Across the campus, the energy of dis­covery was undeniable. Visitors could witness everything from helicopters being flown to a high-stakes Foren­sic Crime Lab being run inside the Chemistry Building.

 

These are the exact hands-on, im­mersive experiences that create lasting memories for Connecticut students, actively inspiring them to step up and join the next generation of world-changing scientists. The overwhelming success of this year’s Connecticut Science Olympiad com­petition reflects the critical impor­tance of cultivating scientific curiosity in our schools. This massive under­taking would simply not be possible without the foundational support of dedicated coaches, passionate parent and community volunteers, and the exceptional staff of the UConn ECE program.

 

Final Standings & Special Recognitions

C DIVISION

Gold – South Windsor High School

Silver – Avon High School

Bronze – Staples High School

4th place – Wilton High School

Best New Team – West Haven High School

 

By Janet Belval, CT State Director, CT Science Olympiad, UConn ECE Instructor at South Windsor High School

UConn Early College Experience was proud to host the 2026 Connecticut State Science Olym­piad Competition. This premier annual event brought together some of the brightest young minds from across the state to showcase their scientific skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork. The day was filled with immense excitement, collaboration, and intense competi­tion as these budding scientists left no stone unturned in their quest for victory.

 

Science Olympiad is a highly regarded competition that challenges students across a wide ar­ray of scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and more. With an impressive lineup of more than 23 distinct events, the participants were required to exhibit rigorous content knowledge, innovation, and analytical thinking. Over 50 dedicated Science Olympiad teams from around the state prepared for months leading up to the event, showcas­ing a remarkable commitment to excellence.

 

Tournament Champions & Highlights

 

The battle for the state title showed incredible depth this season, culminating in a spectacular repeat victory.

 

Division C (High School): South Windsor High School fiercely defended their title to emerge once again as the Division C State Winners. They will advance to proudly represent Connecti­cut at the National Tournament.

 

Igniting Curiosity and Inspiring the Future

 

Participating in Science Olympiad is far more than just a bid for med­als. It is a profound opportunity for young minds to explore their passions and ignite a lifelong curiosity about the world around them. Teams are pushed to their limits in structural building and engineering events, and rigorous written examinations and hands-on experimental design.

 

Across the campus, the energy of dis­covery was undeniable. Visitors could witness everything from helicopters being flown to a high-stakes Foren­sic Crime Lab being run inside the Chemistry Building.

 

These are the exact hands-on, im­mersive experiences that create lasting memories for Connecticut students, actively inspiring them to step up and join the next generation of world-changing scientists. The overwhelming success of this year’s Connecticut Science Olympiad com­petition reflects the critical impor­tance of cultivating scientific curiosity in our schools. This massive under­taking would simply not be possible without the foundational support of dedicated coaches, passionate parent and community volunteers, and the exceptional staff of the UConn ECE program.

 

Final Standings & Special Recognitions

C DIVISION

Gold – South Windsor High School

Silver – Avon High School

Bronze – Staples High School

4th place – Wilton High School

Best New Team – West Haven High School

 

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 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.