Middle School Girls to Focus on STEM Fields at Annual Innovation Event

Connecticut’s drive to promote the development of the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – to boost Connecticut’s economy and create sustainable jobs includes women and girls as essential to the efforts’ success. That aspect will be front and center on Saturday, June 7, when the Connecticut Technology Council sponsors the annual Girls of Innovation program in Hartford, geared specifically to middle school age girls, entering grades 7 and 8, “to experience science and its challenges in a fun, interactive way,” according to program organizers.

Girls of Innovation “inspires today’s middle school students to consider careers in science and technology-related research, health services and business areas.” During the day, volunteers drawn from the Connecticut Women of Innovation program and CTC membership meet and work with the girls. They talk with the students about their experiences and careers and guide them through the challenges created by the Staff Scientists at the Connecticut Science Center.

Hank Gruner, Vice President of Programs at the Connecticut Science Center, which hosts the program, understands the need to develop programs that will bring more middle school girls into science and technology fields. “The Connecticut Science Center feels strongly that this type of project is essential for Connecticut’s future science and technology workforce,” says Gruner.

Officials point out that although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S economy, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM related careers. A key message from the Girls of Innovation program is to show participating middle school students real scientists who are “like me” and to inspire girls with the confidence, enthusiasm and persistence to continue pursuing their scientific interests. The program achieves that by bringing the girls together with women working in STEM careers who can talk with the girls about their own career path and interests and choices they made while growing up. The program sponsor is Covidien. New this year, and as a thank you to the girls participating in the science challenge, program sponsors will be coordinating a hands-on activity and distributing Genius Boxes at the conclusion of the event. A Genius Box is a do-it-yourself, boxed project containing all the necessary materials a child needs to complete the challenge inside.

The Genius Box co-founders will be distributing their prototype Circuits Genius Box to the middle school girls at the event, completing a Flying Saucer circuits activity in small groups with program participants and then presenting each girl with a box to take home containing two remaining Circuits activities - a DIY Circuit Board to light up an LED and sound a buzzer, made up of a 3 volt battery, paper clips, and fasteners, and also a Pop-up LED Circuits card made from a 3 volt battery and copper wire.

A new entrepreneurial start-up developed as part of a college challenge by students Kate Pipa and Shivangi Shah, Genius Box delivers a monthly themed box of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) experiments “right to your door, packed with projects and learning opportunities.” The drive behind the business is clearly stated: “We empower the changemakers and problem-solvers of tomorrow, today.”

The mission of the Connecticut Technology Council is to build an interactive community of innovators and their supporters that can leverage these great advantages to create a thriving economy, job growth, a global reputation for entrepreneurial support, and a lifestyle that attracts the best and brightest people to come here and retains the young people who have grown up here. The CTC recently hosted the 10th annual Women of Innovation awards, which recognized 59 women from across Connecticut for their innovation and leadership contributions in the STEM fields.

CT Teacher Shortage Areas Identified For Next School Year

If you’re looking to pursue teaching in Connecticut schools, the State Department of Education (SDE) provides a road map of where the demand is likely to be greatest. SDE has announced the Certification Shortage Areas for 2014-15 for Connecticut schools, and virtually all reflect continued areas of shortage – with only one new entry on the list. The subjects identified are:

1. world languages, 7-12;
2. bilingual education, PK-12;
3. school library and media specialist;
4. speech and language pathologist;
5. technology education, PK-12;
6. comprehensive special education, K-12;
7. science, 7-12;
8. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, PK-12;
9. intermediate administrator;
10. mathematics, 7-12;

Each year in the fall, SDE surveys certified educational positions to determine the number of teaching and administrative vacancies that existed before the state of the school year, and the vacancies that remained after the start of school. Results from the survey are used to determine the shortage areas for the following school year – in this case, for 2014-15. Nine of the 10 shortage areas identified for 2014-15 were also shortage areas in the previous year. TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), PK-12 will be the only new shortage area in the 2014-15 school year.

The shortages may get worse before they get better.

The SDE report also indicated that 18.2 percent of all certified staff who were employed as of October 2013 are eligible for retirement. Over the next five years, the report indicated, “this percentage will increase to 26.9 percent. It is significant that a number of the shortage areas also have particularly high percentages of teachers who will be eligible for retirement over the next five years.”

The survey noted that 61 percent of positions that remained vacant on October 1 were due to the lack of qualified candidates, a level that is unchanged from the previous year. The most frequent reason cited for not identifying a qualified candidate was “late postings that affected the size and quality of the applicant pool.”

The Data Bulletin that detailed the survey findings was developed by the Performance Office of the Bureau of Data Collection, Research and Evaluation within SDE.

CT Teen Completes Puzzle in World Record Time

Anyone who has ever labored over a puzzle on a rainy afternoon, take note. Fifteen-year-old Deepika Ravichandran, a resident of East Hampton and a junior at the University High School of Science and Engineering on the campus of the University of Hartford, is the latest Connecticut resident to earn a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. She has become the fastest in the world to complete the "GWR Hasbro Puzzle,” assembling the unique and challenging jigsaw puzzle at a rapid rate of 18 pieces per minute, completing the puzzle in 13 minutes and seven seconds. Her time beat the previous record of 13 minutes and 14 seconds.

The official Guinness World Records 250-piece jigsaw puzzle is an oval shape and has no guiding picture on the box. Most of the pieces are very similar in appearence.

“There are pieces that are such odd shapes, I don’t know what goes where,” she told the Middletown Press, which along with WFSB and India New England, reported on her accomplishment.

Although she acknowledges her ability to solve jigsaw puzzles quickly, which was first noticed when she was a toddler, she does not exactly know what makes her successful. “It’s my thing. I have a talent for it,” she told the Press. This was second attempt; on her first attempt at age 12, she missed the world record by 30 seconds.

Part of her world record attempt was to raise funds for her UNICEF high school club. She was hoping to raise enough to provide three meals for a day to 250 (one for each of the puzzle pieces) needy children.

Ravichandran has a strong science, technology, engineering and mathematics background from her time at Hartford’s Annie Fisher STEM magnet school. More than 30 people watched the world record attempt on May 9, including six official witnesses and a videographer who filmed the successful attempt in the University High School's resource room.

Who Knew? Northeast is Hotbed of Entrepreneurial Activity, For Some More than Others

Takes one to know one. Or, more accurately, know one and you may become one. That’s the bottom line of an exploration into entrepreneurship by a Kauffman Foundation researcher, who found that the Northeast is the best place to catch the entrepreneurial bug. As Connecticut sinks increasing dollars into initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship, develop jobs, and turn ideas into businesses (often with state financial incentives) the report offers guidance of factors influencing the frequency of entrepreneurial launches.  Connecticut Innovations,  established and supported by state government,  helps Connecticut businesses grow through creative financing and strategic assistance,  and is the nation's sixth most-active early stage investor.

The survey indicated that the likelihood of a person knowing entrepreneurs varied widely by location, income, gender, and age. Respondents were much more likely to know entrepreneurs if they were male, had modest income, or were middle-aged. And they were much less likely to know entrepreneurs (or be entrepreneurs) if they were female, had a higher income, or were located in the Midwest or South.

The study suggests that there could be “material increases in entrepreneurship simply through doing a better job of exposing people to existing entrepreneurs, especially peers or contemporaries.” Entrepreneurship grows, the study found, where it is planted.

Key factors to consider when attempting to encourage entrepreneurship, according to the study:

• Women have less exposure to growth entrepreneurs than men
• The young have much more exposure to growth entrepreneurs
• People in lower income strata are much less likely to be exposed to growth entrepreneurs

The study concluded that “In all cases, an individual’s exposure to entrepreneurs—and to growth entrepreneurs in particular—may increase his or her likelihood of being one. Entrepreneurship can be viral, but must be introduced early and often in environments where it is least often seen.”

The study distinguished between entrepreneurial companies and “growth entrepreneurial companies,” those companies growing more than 20 percent a year and with more than $1 million in sales, generate more employment and contribute more to wealth and GDP than do slower-growing ventures.

The likelihood of a respondent reporting knowing an entrepreneur in the United States was 36.7 percent. The likelihood of knowing a growth entrepreneur was considerably lower, at 15.4 percent.

When broken down by gender, the likelihood of males knowing an entrepreneur was 39.9 percent, females 35.8 percent. For growth entrepreneurs, the gender gap was considerably wide, 24.8 percent to 12.1 percent.

A year ago, CTNext, Connecticut’s innovation ecosystem managed by Connecticut Innovations (CI), announced the launch of the Entrepreneur Innovation Awards (EIA), a competitive pitch process that provides awards up to $10,000 to entrepreneurs in Connecticut for growth-related activities. CI helps innovative companies in four key ways: by offering equity, debt, grants and strategic guidance.

A month ago CTNext announced the winners of the latest round of EIA awards; Connecticut-based companies and entrepreneurs, received $10,000 for their project ideas. CI also selected David Wurzer, formerly a senior managing director at CI, to be chief investment officer and executive vice president. As part of his new role, Wurzer will be responsible for the management of the investment function, staffing needs, portfolio and risk management, outreach to stakeholders, budget planning and performance measurement.

The study “Getting the Bug: Is (Growth) Entrepreneurship Contagious?” was conducted by Paul Kedrosky of the Kansas City-based Kauffman Foundation, and is aimed at providing data to guide efforts across the country to grow entrepreneurship. The survey, which categorizes responses of 2,000 individuals by age, income, gender, and location, was done via Consumer Google Survey.

44 Connecticut High Schools Among Best in US; Top School in State Is #15 Nationally

Forty-four Connecticut high schools have earned a slot on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the nation’s Best High Schools. The top school in Connecticut, according to the rankings, is Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, an inter-district magnet school run by the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC), which came in at number 15 in the U.S. rankings.

The title of number one school in the country went to School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas, Texas.  The top ten nationally included schools in Arizona, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, Michigan and California.  The publication’s 2014 Best High School rankings, included a review of 19,411 public high schools.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Connecticut has 17 gold medal schools, 20 silver medal schools and seven bronze medal schools. In order to be eligible for a state ranking, a school must be awarded a national gold or silver medal.

CREC’s Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, at #15 nationally, was the only Connecticut school to make the top 30.  The school plans to move to a newly constructed school facility in Windsor next year. It is a grade 6 – 12 magnet school with programs that build upon each other to help students gain skills and unique experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that prepare them for college and high-demand professional careers. The diverse student body comes from more than 30 cities and towns in the Greater Hartford area.

The Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy, in East Hartford, ranked #2 in Connecticut and #31 in the nation, according to the US News rankings.  The #3 high school in Connecticut ranked #182 nationally – Weston High School.

In addition to the top 12 high schools in Connecticut (see chart), those making the U.S. News list included Joel Barlow High School (Redding), Simsbury High School, Greenwich High School, Newtown High School, New Canaan High School, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Avon High School, Lyme-Old Lyme High School,  Brookfield High School, Fairfield Warde High School, Amity Regional High School (Woodbridge), Guilford High School, Glastonbury High School, Suffield High School, Litchfield High School, Metropolitan Learning Center (Bloomfield), and Bolton High School, all among the top 1,000 high schools nationally.

Also reaching the U.S. News list, were Valley Regional High School (Deep River), Bristol Central High School, South Windsor High School, Daniel Hand High School (Madison), Southington High School, Hill Regional Career High School (New Haven), Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School (New Haven), and Northwestern Regional High School (Winsted), which placed among the top 1,640 high schools nationwide.

Among the Connecticut high schools (see the full list of rankings) the top ranked school for college readiness was Lyme-Old Lyme High School, followed by Old Saybrook High School and Pomperaug Regional High School (Southbury).

The best student-teacher ratio in the state was 10:1, occurring in 13 high schools, including Bloomfield High School, Windsor High School, East Windsor High School and Windham High School.   Twelve schools were tied with the highest math proficiency in the state; four schools had the highest reading proficiency among their students – Newtown, Greenwich, Brookfield and Farmington high schools.

The US News site explains that "a three-step process determined the Best High Schools. The first two steps ensured that the schools serve all of their students well, using performance on state proficiency tests as the benchmarks. For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work."

• Step 1 determined whether each school's students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state.
• Step 2 determined whether the school's least-advantaged students were performing better than average for similar students in the state.
• Step 3 judged college-readiness performance using Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmarks for success.

Gold medal designation went to the top 500 schools (about 3 percent) based on the highest college readiness, the silver medal to high performing schools with lower college readiness numbers (about 9 percent of schools), and the bronze designation went to high performing schools based on state exam performance (about 15 percent of schools).  Three-quarters of the schools whose data was analyzed did not earn a “best” designation.

Encore Entrepreneurs – Over 50 and Building New Businesses

Mix a relatively slow economy and a shortage of jobs with a large number of aging boomers looking for meaning and purpose in their work. The result is a growing number of “encore entrepreneurs” seeking to launch income-generating ventures that make a positive difference in their communities.

That has led the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and AARP to launching a strategic alliance to provide counseling and training to entrepreneurs over the age of 50 who want to start or grow a small business.  

April is Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Month, and would-be “encore entrepreneurs” will have the opportunity to connect with a number of organizations and community leaders for advice and assistance in their endeavors as part of seminars held as part of the AARP-SBA initiative.

Next up in Connecticut:  a free seminar, Want to Start or Grow a Small Business?, at the Hartford Public Library on Wednesday, April 23, 2-4 PM, at 500 Main Street.  Space is limited. Interested individuals can register online or call toll-free 877-926-8300.   There will also be a session in New Haven on May 15.

For many Americans born between 1946 and 1964, retirement has a very different meaning than it did a generation ago.   According to a USA Today/Gallup poll, 63% of American adults plan to work in retirement; two-thirds say enjoyment of work is the key reason. With years of valuable work experience, maturity, and plenty of energy at their disposal, today's older workers are increasingly finding financial and personal fulfillment in running their own small businesses.

New research released by Encore.org (formerly Civic Ventures) and funded by the MetLife Foundation shows:

• Approximately 25 million people – one in four Americans ages 44 to 70 – are interested in starting businesses or nonprofit ventures in the next five to 10 years.
• More than 12 million of these aspiring entrepreneurs are potential encore entrepreneurs who want to make a positive social impact as well as a living.  Potential encore entrepreneurs have realistic financial expectations and plan local, small ventures to meet needs in their communities.
• These aspiring entrepreneurs bring a lot of experience to the table, including an average of 31 years of work experience and 12 years of community involvement. Additionally, five out of six report having management experience – 15 years on average.

A 2010 survey by the Kauffman Foundation found that Americans 55 to 64 start new business ventures at a higher rate than any other age group, including 20-somethings. Fully 23 percent of new entrepreneurs were age 55 to 64, up from 14 percent in 1996.

The first event in Connecticut was held in Bridgeport in late January, followed by Danbury in early April.  An additional program is slated for New Haven on May 15 (2 to 4 PM) at Gateway Community College.

In Search of Adventure: A Children’s Book Diversity Mystery

In 2012, 93 percent of children’s books written that year were written about white characters, according to a study by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center.  There were 3,600 children’s books written that year.

Apparently the hue and cry were insufficient to change the inertia of insensitivity to the range of skin colors on American children.  A similar study in 2013, recently highlighted in The New York Times, found the following:  of 3,200 children’s books published last year, just 93 were about black people and 57 were about Latinos.  The Cooperative Children’s Book Center is at the University of Wisconsin.

A well-circulated illustration by Tina Kugler, spurred by the 2012 numbers, highlighted them:

•   3% were about Africans/African Americans; 1.8% were written by Africans/African Americans
•   1.5% were about Latinos; 1.6% were written by Latinos
•   Less than 1% were about American Indians; less than 1% were written by American Indians
•   2% were about Asian Pacifics/Asian Pacific Americans; 2.3% were written by Asian Pacifics/Asian Pacific Americans

Back in 2008, a study by Brigham Young University found that “characters depicted in Newbery winners are more likely to be white, male and come from two-parent households than the average U.S. child,” according to published reports.  The Newberry Award is the annual top honor for children’s literature.

At the time, Bloomberg News reported the following:  The Chicago-based American Library Association has awarded the Newbery Medal to one book annually since 1922. All Newbery books remain in print, underscoring their enduring nature. Their popularity with teachers and parents means that for many younger children, Newbery medalists are a primary way they learn about the world and how to relate to others.

Writing in The New York Times, author and illustrator Christopher Myers pointed out last month that children “are much more outward looking.  They see books less as mirrors and more as maps.  They are indeed searching for their place in the world, but they are also deciding where they want to go.  They create, through the stories they’re given, an atlas of their world, of their relationships to others, of their possible destinations. … Children of color remain outside the boundaries of imagination.  The cartography we create with this literature is flawed.”

The National Education Association has added to its website “50 Multicultural books every child should read.”  The most recent title, for children from preschool to age 12, was written in 2009.

Locally, Eastern Connecticut State University associate professor of English Dr. Raouf Mama is recipient of the 2008 National Multicultural Children's Book Award from the National Association of Multicultural Education.  The author of children’s books and master storyteller, a native of Benin, Dr. Mama performs African and multicultural stories, blending storytelling with poetry, song, music, and dance.   An orator out of the African oral tradition, he also lectures on African literature and African folklore and conducts workshops on storytelling and creative writing, and the power of folktales as multicultural teaching and learning tools, especially as tools for teaching literacy skills, creative writing, and public speaking.

When the American Association of School Librarians had their National Conference & Exhibition in Hartford last fall, the issue was on the agenda.  One of the conference session’s dealt specifically with multicultural children’s literature.  Led by acclaimed children’s book author Kelly Starling-Lyons and author Gwendolyn Hooks, the session was directed to “school librarians who want to build or expand their collections with multicultural titles.”

Conference attendees from across the country who were attending the biannual event were “invited to come celebrate a showcase of great books by African American children's book creators.”  Hooks and Starling Lyons saluted titles that have been featured on The Brown Bookshelf blog.

The conference theme during those November days in Hartford:  Rising to the Challenge.

Signatures Sought: Libraries Make A Stand At State Capitol

The Connecticut Library Association, working in conjunction with the Connecticut State Library and the Connecticut Library Consortium, will mark National Library Week at the State Capitol on Wednesday, April 16.  They will be “bringing the Declaration for the Right to Libraries to life by visually illustrating its ten principles” – and looking for indiviuals to sign the declaration, which is part of a year-long initiative of the American Library Association.

The effort in Connecticut is aimed at legislators, other elected officials, and visitors who walk the Capitol’s concourse – offering displays of “powerful, living examples of the work that is currently taking place in Connecticut libraries and why it is so important that they continue to support our institutions,” officials said.

The Declaration states that “In the spirit of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we believe that libraries are essential to a democratic society.”

The ten principles include:

1. Libraries Empower the Individual -  Whether developing skills to succeed in school, looking for a job, exploring possible careers, having a baby, or planning retirement, people of all ages turn to libraries for instruction, support, and access to computers and other resources to help them lead better lives.
2. Libraries Support Literacy and Lifelong Learning - Many children and adults learn to read at their school and public libraries via story times, research projects, summer reading, tutoring and other opportunities. Others come to the library to learn the technology and information skills that help them answer their questions, discover new interests, and share their ideas with others.
3. Libraries Strengthen Families -  Families find a comfortable, welcoming space and a wealth of resources to help them learn, grow and play together.
4. Libraries are the Great Equalizer - Libraries serve people of every age, education level, income level, ethnicity and physical ability. For many people, libraries provide resources that they could not otherwise afford – resources they need to live, learn, work and govern.
5. Libraries Build Communities - Libraries bring people together, both in person and online, to have conversations and to learn from and help each other. Libraries provide support for seniors, immigrants and others with special needs.
6. Libraries Protect Our Right to Know -  Our right to read, seek information, and speak freely must not be taken for granted. Libraries and librarians actively defend this most basic freedom as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
7. Libraries Strengthen Our Nation - The economic health and successful governance of our nation depend on people who are literate and informed. School, public, academic, and special libraries support this basic right.
8. Libraries Advance Research and Scholarship -  Knowledge grows from knowledge. Whether doing a school assignment, seeking a cure for cancer, pursuing an academic degree, or developing a more fuel efficient engine, scholars and researchers of all ages depend on the knowledge and expertise that libraries and librarians offer.
9. Libraries Help Us to Better Understand Each Other -   People from all walks of life come together at libraries to discuss issues of common concern. Libraries provide programs, collections, and meeting spaces to help us share and learn from our differences.
10. Libraries Preserve Our Nation’s Cultural Heritage - The past is key to our future.  Libraries collect, digitize, and preserve original and unique historical documents that help us to better understand our past, present and future.

Based in Middletown, the Connecticut Library Association is Connecticut's 1,000 member strong professional organization of librarians, library staff, friends, and trustees working together to improve library service, advance the interests of librarians, library staff, and librarianship, and increase public awareness of libraries and library services.

There are 165 “principal” public libraries in Connecticut’s 169 towns (four towns are served by libraries in neighboring towns), as well as 27 additional libraries and 47 branch libraries in communities across the state.  A list of public libraries in Connecticut is available at http://www.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/files/community/connecticut-public-librar

Ollie is Latest to See Take-Home Pay Jump at UConn

In the aftermath of UConn’s national championship, coach Kevin Ollie’s “relatively low” salary compared to his peers, became the focus of some media attention.   It’s not the first time in the current fiscal year that salaries at UConn were in the spotlight, and Ollie is only the latest top UConn official to see his take home pay bumped during the year.

Just four months ago, hundreds of top officials and administrators at the University of Connecticut received raises, with many of the annual  increases topping $10,000.  Warde Manuel, the university's athletic director, saw his salary jump by $22,500, which brought his annual pay to $472,500.

Amidst tuition increases, programmatic cutbacks and concern over budgetary shortfalls, a total of 24 senior officials and administrators received raises in excess of $10,000, according to data provided by the university.  That included 12 individuals whose raises topped $12,000 annually.

In addition, another 13 individuals received salary increases of between $8,000 and $10,000, bringing the total to 37 individuals who received salary increases of more than $8,000.

In addition to Manuel, among those receiving the top raises, and their new annual salaries - all exceeding $200,000 - were:

2.  Provost & Executive Vice President Mun Choi ($18,500 to $388,500)

3.  Business School Dean John Elliott ($17,550 to $407,550)

4.  Executive Vice President Richard Gray ($13,124 to $275,599)

5.  Engineering School Dean Kazem Kazerqunian ($13,000 to $276,100)

6.  Education School Dean Thomas DeFranco ($12,882 to $272,852)

7.  Agriculture & Natural Resources College Dean Gregory Weidemann ($12,861 to $270, 087)

8.  Vice President for Enrollment Management Wayne Locust ($12,750 to $276,750)

9.  Interim Vice Provost for Academic Administration Sally Reis  ($12,500 to $264,825)

10. Vice Provost/Vice President Nancy Bull ($12,313 to $260,113)

11.  Associate Liberal Arts Dean Dipak Dey ($12,000 to $255,100)

12.  Fine Arts School Dean Brid Grant ($12,000 to $252,000)

 (See the full list of the raises, reported by CT Mirror.)

Last month, it was announced that UConn will pay its budget chief, Richard Gray, $138,000 in severance when he steps down from the post on April 30.  His separation agreement provides him with six months' regular pay after he leaves -- a payment the university was not required to provide for him to retire, CT Mirror reported.

That same day, UConn Vice President for Economic Development Mary Holz-Claus will step down from that post (and a $241,500 salary) after three years, moving over to become assistant dean in the school’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hartford Business Journal reported.

Kazem Kazerounian was named Dean of the School of Engineering following a nationwide search in January. He had been interim Dean since June 2012.  Tyson Kendig, hired as UConn’s Vice President of Communications in December 2012 at a salary of $227,500 which generated some controversy, saw his salary grow by $11,375 a year later to $238,875.

Nearly a year ago, the University of Minnesota announced that Lisa Lewis would be president and chief executive officer of the school’s alumni association – a post Lewis had held at UConn.  Last month, UConn announced that Montique Cotton Kelly, after nearly two decades at Bowling Green State University, would be joining UConn in June as assistant vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the UConn Alumni Association.  Her salary was not announced.

As for Ollie, Forbes magazine has reported that he has a base salary of $400,000, plus additional income from Nike, PR, consulting and media payments that were worth a combined $800,000 in the 2013 calendar year. He added $167,000 in performance bonuses from the tournament run, bringing his total pay for the season to just under $1.4 million before counting potential academic performance bonuses.  The magazine noted that top coaches like Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Florida’s Billy Donovan and Kentucky’s John Calipari, all take home more than $4 million per year.

CT by the Numbers previously reported that according to data compiled by the website Deadspin, the ranks of the highest-paid active public employees in states across the country include 27 football coaches, 13 basketball coaches, one hockey coach, and  10 state employees with responsibilities outside of athletics.  That’s 80 percent of the states with a public employee salary roster led by a coach.

A spokeswoman for UConn told CT Mirror in December that the raises –- which costUConn $1.3 million this fiscal year -– did not need to be approved by the Board of Trustees, because money for the raises was included in the omnibus budget the board approved last summer.  The raises ranged from a top rate of 5 percent — which 12 of the 24 received — down to 4.1 percent, the Hartford Courant reported. Ollie’s performance bonuses, outlined in his contract, also do not need Board approval.

Pilot Project Boosts Voter Engagement in Latino Community

It turns out, all that was necessary to improve voter engagement and turnout was asking – and repeated, substantive, and informative reminders.  The results of a pilot study in Hartford’s Latino community may provide critical insight into how to improve voting levels in the state’s ethnic or urban communities, as the next election season beckons.

In 2012-13, the Hartford Votes~Hartford Vota Coalition conducted a Latino Voter Engagement Initiative with the support of a grant obtained by Hartford Public Library, a founding member of the Coalition.  The goal of the initiative was to increase historically low voter engagement in Hartford’s Latino community.  It did.

The initiative included traditional voter registration activities, but because voter registration by itself tends not to result in higher voter engagement, additional activities were also included in the initiative.  Among them:  candidate forums, public programs on relevant topics, production and distribution of publications such as voter guides, canvassing portions of Hartford neighborhoods, conducting a reminder to vote campaign, and civics classes in Hartford high schools.

In addition, a number of meetings were held with leaders and others from Hartford’s Latino community.  None of the conversations or interactions were partisan.  They focused exclusively on the electoral process, the importance of exercising the right to vote, and providing basic information about public issues.  The results of the initiative were impressive:

• Voter Registration:  392 Hartford Latinos were registered to vote.
• Voter Information: 174 Hartford Latinos attended three candidate forums and two public programs.  Three publications were produced (Hartford Voters Guide, Citizens Guide, and Guide to the Hartford Board of Education) in English and Spanish and over 4,000 copies were distributed.
• Voter Education: 124 Hartford Latinos participated in the neighborhood canvass; 172 Hartford Latino high school students attended civics classes.

According to a sample survey conducted at the end of the project, 44 percent of Hartford Latinos with whom program organizers interacted reported an increase in their voter engagement.  For example, they registered to vote, they voted, or they attended a candidate forum or public program related to major public issues during the project period.

Project organizers concluded that “we identified and demonstrated a successful strategy that can help address the very complex problem of low voter engagement (among Latinos and others):  people vote and get involved in greater numbers when they are encouraged to do so through face-to-face contact, and multiple contacts are more effective than single contacts.”

The neighborhood canvass produced especially notable results:

• 54 percent of Latinos who were inactive voters (i.e., they had never voted before or were registered but had not voted in the 2008 and/or the 2010 elections) who participated in the neighborhood canvass reported that they voted in 2012 as a result of the interaction.
• 64 percent of all Latinos who participated in the neighborhood canvass reported that they voted in 2012 as a result of the interaction.
• Those who were spoken with twice voted at a rate 21 percent higher than those that only had one interaction
• 2012 voter turnout among all people included in the neighborhood canvass was 9.1 percent higher than overall turnout in voting districts in which an informational canvass was conducted, and 6.7 percent higher than turnout citywide.

 In addition, thirteen high school civics classes were conducted in four different Hartford schools in May and June 2013, which were attended by 172 Latino students. According to evaluation forms completed by most of the students, 91 percent said the class helped them understand more about civics and 82 percent said they were more likely to vote or take action in their community as a result of having taken the class.  Comments ranged from “I made my voice heard through my vote” to “I didn’t do it for politics but because people motivated me.”

 The Hartford experience has been corroborated by similar research in Detroit and Arizona, according to project organizers.  The Coalition’s goal in 2014 is to secure resources that will enable it to ramp up the successful strategies identified through the pilot project and as a result have greater impact.

“Through these strategies,” they suggest, “we can play a significant role in reducing the effects of low voter engagement, which is a major threat to our democracy.”