By Sean Frederick Forbes, Ph.D.
Director, Creative Writing Program
UConn English Department

When I learned that the theme of this year’s ECE summer magazine was going to be “Growth Mindset: Challenging the Status Quo,” I nodded in approval. For any writer, especially a poet, it’s important to consider the role that a healthy “growth mindset” plays in the writing process. Every time one writes a poem, an essay, a text message, or even a grocery list, one is learning to write all over again. Writing a villanelle requires an understanding of the way repeated alternating refrains and a specific end rhyme scheme are employed to convey a complex narrative to the reader/listener versus texting one’s sibling to ask for a huge favor which requires one to think about effective and persuasive phrasing. The writer adapts to the nuances and limitations of each writing form, and in turn, the writer is growing by questioning and challenging the norms set before them. It’s the poet’s exuberant curiosity coupled with the impulse to take risks that allows for creative thought and expression.

My fellow judges, Sophie Buckner and Dan Healy, (both PhD candidates in the English department and creative writers), and I selected three poetry packets by Grace Dehnel, McKena Clemons, and Natalie Crowley, as the first, second, and third prize winners, respectively. With almost 100 submis­sions for this contest, and no identify­ing information on each packet during the review process, our three winners all happened to be students from Rockville High School. This was very exciting to find out as Mrs. Nordlund, their Rockville High School instructor, was once a Summer Institute fellow for the Connecticut Writing Project housed in the English department at UConn and she’s also a poet herself.

During the reading and deliberation process, Sophie, Dan and I thought carefully and critically about the pre­sentation of the poems in each packet. We considered the ways in which the speaker’s voice establishes tone, and the form and style employed, as well as many other factors. What was most telling to the three of us was that

these three poets were moved by their rum­bustious desires to express themselves in poetic form, and for that we are eternally grateful.
 
In Grace Dehnel’s poem “Air,” the speaker presents the denotative mean­ing of the word “free fall,” and takes on the typography that one would expect to find in an online or print dictionary such as a phonetic pronunciation guide, the part of speech of the word (“free fall” is a verb), and the word’s meaning. Typographically, the poem’s layout is a free fall-esque form that can unsettle the reader ever so slightly. This innovative decision allows the speaker to present a narrative voice to the reader in a most provocative man­ner with lines such as “A gravitational pull--/ intangible & untouchable & yet/doesn’t let you leave does it?” What’s most striking in these lines are the ways in which spacing, notably the large gaps within a line, create a tension within the narrative presented since the speaker breaks free from the constraints of traditional poetic line and stanza breaks expectations.
 
McKena Clemons’ poem “The second month” astonishes the reader with its use of a spare aesthetics juxta­posed with deep-rooted cultural and historical stings about the month of February. In the first few lines, the reader is symbolically exposed to the natural elements associated with a wintery climate—the chilled air, the dead trees, and the muddy slush of too much snow and sometimes rain. Clemons then ends the poem with three thought-provoking lines for the reader to ponder over: The streets are flooded with red hearts but they didn’t leave blood stains. / The shortest month dedicated to love and black bodies. / February is hypocrisy.” These lines can lead the reader to be con­templative and inquisitive about how some months in a calendar year can induce such deep thinking.
 
Natalie Crowley’s poem “Maybe it’s the Maybelline” the speaker confronts feminine beauty standards based on the cosmetics industry and the emotional, physical, and psychological affects and effects of applying mascara to one’s eyelashes. In the first few lines, the speaker informs the reader that in 1872 the first commercial mascara was created: a mixture of “petroleum jelly and coal dust.” In doing so, the reader becomes fixated on the human eye and the drastic and harmful “lengths” one takes in wanting to have allur­ing-looking eyelashes: “Sneaking into my sister’s makeup. / I used her mas­cara. / Got a cyst on my eye.” As one continues to read Crowley’s poem, one engages with the speaker on multiple levels in a succinct yet profoundly substantive style of voice.
 
Listen to Poetry readings

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.”

by Carissa Rutkauskas

The 2023 UConn ECE Marine Science Symposium was held over two days this year, May 30-31, and saw a record number of participants. Nearly 200 students from seven schools (The Morgan School, University High School of Science and Engineering, Marine Science Magnet High School, Ledyard High School, Waterford High School, Coginchaug High School, and The Sound School) spent a day at the UConn Avery Point Campus. The first day was opened with Larissa Graham, Education Coordinator, of the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) introducing her work. NERR provides stewardship, research, training, and education at each of the 30 reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, allowing reserves to have an environmental impact at the local level, as well as at the national level.¹ Ms. Graham closed her talk by sharing opportunities with students on how they can volunteer with NERR (s.uconn.edu/ctreserve). The rest of the day was student-driven with students presenting about and listening to poster presentations on the research they had done and touring different aspects of the Avery Point Campus. Capitan Marc Liebig hosted a tour of the R/V Connecticut, a 90’ steel single screw research vessel that was designed and built for the University of Connecticut in 1998 and is outfitted for year-round coastal service.² Dr. Koerting also provided tours of the water labs and other research labs throughout campus. On Wednesday morning, 33 students presented their work, individually or in small groups, in front of their peers in the auditorium. The afternoon session featured over 30 poster presentations, including posters from the previous day. Faculty and members of the Marine Sciences Department joined the ECE Students for this part of the event to show their support and provide the students the opportunity to make connections with UConn Faculty and students.

UConn ECE Marine Science Faculty Coordinator and event organizer, Dr. Claudia Koerting, explained that participants were from two very different courses - MARN1003E: Introduction to Oceanography with Laboratory or MARN 1001E: The Sea Around Us. Introduction to Oceanography is designed for marine sciences and environmental sciences majors. Students study the processes governing the geology, circulation, chemistry, and biological productivity of the world’s oceans. Laboratory experiments, hands-on exercises, and field observations are a required component. UConn ECE Students may meet this requirement through their year-long projects which were presented during the symposium. The Sea Around Us helps students understand the relationship of humans with the marine environment. This non-majors course teaches students about the ocean processes they need to understand marine resources, the development and use of the coastal zone, and the impact of technology on marine ecosystems. The students enrolled in MARN 1001E reviewed the literature to take complex topics that could then be accurately communicated to the general public.

¹estuarineresearchreserve.center.uconn.edu/ct-reserve/
²marinesciences.uconn.edu/rvct/

by Jessica Dunn

UConn Early College Experience and the University of Connecticut publicly recognize and thank outstanding Instructors and administrators whose dedication and commitment help make UConn ECE successful. Those recognized have exceeded program expectations and excelled in preparing their high school’s students for the next level in their education.
 

UConn ECE faculty, staff, and award winners look forward to the annual Professional Recognition Awards Ceremony each year as a momentous time to decompress and celebrate the accomplishments and successes of the community. This year, we were finally able to host a fully in-person Awards Ceremony for award winners, family, and friends on the UConn Storrs Campus, something we have not been able to do for the past four years. Our award winners and guests gathered for the Awards Ceremony at the UConn Alumni Center on April 21st for an elegant sit-down dinner where they were welcomed by OECP Executive Director, Christopher Todd as well as UConn’s Associate Vice Provost, Dr. Peter Diplock.
This year there were many outstanding nominees, who were nominated by colleagues, students, and UConn Faculty for their exemplary instruction and management of the UConn ECE Program. We had the great honor to select and recognize eleven Professional Recognition Award winners along with six award winners of the Silver Jubilee Award, newly recognized at this event. The Silver Jubilee winners were recognized for their dedicated partnership with the UConn Early College Experience Program for the last 25 years. These instructors have successfully maintained their certification by attending workshops and have remained engaged with the UConn ECE program as a dedicated partner, advocate, and ally. Recognizing partners with at least 25 years of service is the first step in rolling out our years of service recognition program, and we look forward to identifying and honoring those with long standing partnerships with the UConn ECE Program.
 

The UConn ECE Program would not be successful without the passionate and dedicated partners we are honored to work with, and we are grateful for all you do.

Thomas E. Recchio Faculty Coordinator Award for Academic Leadership

Dr. George Chunsheng Yang, Chinese, University of Connecticut
 
Principal Award for Program Support & Advocacy

Katelyn Miner, Manchester High School
 
Site Representative Award for Excellence in Program Administration

Kathleen Deane, Conard High School
 
Instructor Award for Excellence in Course Instruction

Sarah Lindstrom, Spanish, Bristol Central High School
 

Joseph Mancino, Physics, Glastonbury High School
 

Joshua Hersh, Political Science, The Spire School
 

John Lizzi, Political Science/Human Rights, Housatonic Valley Regional High School

Jennifer Todisco, American Studies, University High School of Science and Engineering
 
“Rookie of the Year” Award for Excellence in First-Year Course Instruction

Christopher Kerr, Educational Curriculum and Instruction, Newington High School
 

Joseph Tarantino, English, University High School of Science and Engineering
 
Award for Outstanding Research in the Field of Concurrent Enrollment

Pamela Peters, University of Connecticut/ Michigan State University
 
Silver Jubilee Award

David Bittel, Physics, Bristol Eastern High School
Joanne Choquette, Spanish, Portland High School
Richard Fritz, Biology, Marine Science Magnet High School
Michelle Graveline, Statistics & Mathematics, Conard High School
Margaret Kimmett, Chemistry, Valley Regional High School
Marcie Vázquez, Spanish, Lyman Hall High School