Connecticut Students Know Much About History; Stand Out in National Contest

Hamilton.  Say the name these days, and people almost reflexively think of the hit Broadway show.  But for Connecticut students Juliana Rodrigues, Max Bueno, Samantha Gilbert, Emily Strickland, and Joseph Zarif from Memorial Middle School in Middlebury, Hamilton brings to mind more recent history. The students won two Special Awards for their project, Alexander Hamilton Explores a Financial System for the New Nation of America, at the National History Day Competition for middle school and high school students, held this month in Maryland.  They middle-schoolers won the U.S.  Constitution Award and the Special Award in History in the Federal Government.

Connecticut History Day is a program for students in grades 6-12 that encourages exploration of local, state, national, and world history.  After selecting a historical topic that relates to an annual theme, students conduct extensive research using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. Students analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topic's significance in history, and create final projects that demonstrate their work.

Connecticut History Day is one of 57 affiliate programs of the highly regarded National History Day program. Student projects developed by students in Connecticut are entered into a series of competitions, from the local to the national level, where professional historians and educators evaluate them.

The students from Middlebury were not the only Connecticut students to shine on the national stage this year.

• Mia Porcello, a middle school student from St. Timothy School in West Hartford, captured a national title by winning First Place in the Junior Individual Exhibit Category for her entry Florence Wald: Exploring Medical Boundaries, Exchanging Hospitals to Hospice.
• Shay Pezzulo, a high school student from Classical Magnet School in Hartford, captured CHD’s second national title of the year by winning First Place in the Senior Individual Website Category for her entry Duel and Duality: New Journalism, New York. Pezzulo also attended "Breakfast on the Hill" with members of Congress during her trip to the NHD Contest - an event sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
• The Outstanding Connecticut Entry Award from the Senior Division was awarded to Nicole Wood, Juliana Salamone, Katherine Hurst and Flora Dievenich for their group project, Women Airforce Service Pilots and the Flight for Equality. They are students at Greenwich High School and were also finalists in the Senior Group Performance Category.
• The Outstanding Connecticut Entry Award from the Junior Division was awarded to Hunter Dale and Noah Vasington for their group project, Branch Rickey: Branching Off to New Ideas. They are students at Mansfield Middle School in Storrs and were also finalists in the Junior Group Exhibit Category.
• Rosie the Riveter, an exhibit created by Claire Graham, Hana Previte, Isabel Saltzman, and Lauren White was one of only 57 projects featured at the National Museum of American History’s "National History Night" on Wednesday, June 15. They are students at Wilton High School.

The students, who helped Connecticut stand-out at the national competition, range from first-time program participants to history day veterans and from AP students to students who are struggling in school, according to officials.  The national competition was held June 12-16 at the University of Maryland.

In recent years, the Connecticut program, coordinated by Connecticut’s Old State House with support from Connecticut Humanities, has grow in numbers and in the quality of the students’ work, organizers point out. This year, Connecticut History Day had 10,600 points of contact with Connecticut students, teachers, parents and history professionals, including workshops for 4,500 students—twice last year’s number.

"Good strategic thinking by our History Day team has increased the number of students who learn and grow through this program," said Sally Whipple, Executive Director of Connecticut's Old State House. "Old State House workshops, resources and coaching have helped students develop high quality projects based on sound research. We serve thousands of students through this program, but more important than the number served, is the quality of that service. Students develop critical thinking, writing and research skills, along with increased confidence, curiosity and the ability to ask and find answers to compelling questions. The Old State House staff strives to do this every day through all of its programs. It's great to see student work that we've helped nurture receive the highest National History Day honors possible."

This is the fifth consecutive year that Connecticut students have placed at the national contest and appears to be the first time that Connecticut students have won two first place awards. The initiative in Connecticut is in line with the state’s relatively new Social Studies Framework and helps students build confidence, as well – as does the recognition, both in state and at the national level. 

Earlier this year, state contest winners were determined at a day-long event hosted at Central Connecticut State University.  That followed regional contests held in Torrington, New Haven, Fairfield, Mansfield, Manchester and Hartford. Among the statewide category winners, at the high school level,  were students from Hartford, Farmington, Manchester, Norwich, Weston, Wilton, Westport, Southbury, Woodbury, Greenwich, Ellington, New Haven and Wallingford.  Topics ranged from the Panama Canal to Pequot Ware, Immigration Policy to Women Airforce Pilots, 20^th Century Psychiatry to War of the Worlds, Cheney Brothers to Langston Hughes.

The road to National History Day (NHD) begins in Connecticut’s classrooms and home schools where well over 2,000 students choose topics reflecting an annual NHD theme, conduct research and analysis and create an exhibit, performance, website, paper or documentary that shares their findings. Of these, more than 1,250 students competed in this year’s regional contests, with over 400 of the winners going on to the State Contest, which sends first and second-place winners on to Nationals.

https://youtu.be/6pt2R_5cXQs

Putnam High School Student Earns Spot on National Student Advocacy Board

As many Connecticut students are honored with end-of -year school awards for community accomplishments, Putnam High School Junior Jozzlynn Lewis has earned a coveted spot on a national teen board. She has been selected by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to join an advocacy-training program called SADD SPEAKs, the only youth from Connecticut to earn the distinction for the coming year. SADD state coordinator for Connecticut, the Governor’s Prevention Partnership, announced Lewis’ appointment:  “Jozzlynn was one of only 15 young people from across the country who was chosen. It is quite an honor!” said Jill Spineti, President & CEO, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership (The Partnership). “This is also significant for The Partnership because this is the first time in ten years that we have had a youth from Connecticut involved in a national SADD initiative.”

Lewis’ appointment to SADD Speaks was announced recently at the Partnership’s Annual Governor’s Residence Reception, a private event at the Governor’s home, which recognizes the organization’s top corporate investors.  She addressed CEOs, Commissioners and other high level officials at the event hosted by Governor Malloy and other members of the Partnership’s Board of Directors.

Lewis, 17, underwent a competitive selection process which focused on her experience, leadership qualities, public speaking ability, and other criteria, officials said. She was recognized as a dynamic student leader who has also been involved in her local substance abuse prevention coalition, Putnam PRIDE, for many years, along with her mother, Cheryl. Her interest in SADD stems from seeing alcohol and substance use in her own school.

“Sometimes kids come to class under the influence,” explains Lewis, who will begin her senior year in the fall. “This has a negative influence on all of the students, not just the ones who use.  I became involved in SADD in order to make a difference and do my part to make things better.”

Spineti notes that “More than 50 percent of Connecticut's youth continue to deal with issues of drug use, family alcoholism, bullying and child abuse. We partner with SADD and exemplary students such as Jozzlynn to help children avoid all substances to ensure a healthier future.”

Although progress has been made, Spineti stresses that efforts need to be intensified.  According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nationally each month 26.4 percent of underage persons (ages 12-20) used alcohol, and binge drinking among the same age group was 17.4 percent. And nearly three quarters of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school, and more than a third (37%) have done so by eighth grade, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

New data released this month reflected some results from efforts to reduce underage drinking during the past decade – from 2005 to 2015, there was a 15.1 percent drop in reported use by high school students.  This is better than the national average for the same time period, which shows a 10.5 percent decrease in youth alcohol use (CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey), officials said.

Lewis’ commitment and dedication impressed the judging panel.

“Jozzlynn is deserving of this high honor. Her deep desire to empower her peers and change her community will serve her well, as she works to implement policy change at the local, state, and national level,” said Dawn Teixeira, SADD president and chief executive officer. “Motivated young people are a true catalyst for social change.”

“I am so very proud of Jozzlynn and her dedication to SADD, as well as her commitment to wanting to make Putnam High School and our community a safer place to learn and live,” adds Lisa Mooney, School Social Worker and SADD Advisor at Putnam High School.

SADD SPEAKs (Students for Policy, Education, Advocacy, & Knowledge) is an initiative of SADD National, funded by State Farm, that focuses on addressing an impaired driving issue. The participants will have a positive and lasting effect on public policy, demonstrating the power of America’s young people to speak persuasively on critically important issues. They will be trained in coalition building, public speaking and advocacy skills.

This year’s SADD SPEAKs delegates will develop an advocacy plan to address an impaired driving issue (distracted, drowsy, drugged or underage drinking and driving). The group will then lead the national organization’s efforts on Capitol Hill and before their own state and local governments, as well as mobilize thousands of SADD students across the country.

The SADD National Conference, held later this month in Pittsburgh, will include some attendees from Connecticut – nearly a dozen students, teachers and officials from New London will be among those on hand.

At the Governor’s Residence, The Partnership also shared its new strategic plan with the attendees who generously support the non-profit organization. The plan is focused on The Partnership’s mission to equip and connect community groups, business leaders and families to prevent substance abuse, underage drinking and violence among youth.

Created in 1989, the Governor’s Prevention Partnership is a not-for-profit partnership between state government and business leaders with a mission to keep Connecticut’s youth, safe, successful, and drug-free.  The organization focuses on positive school climate, mentoring, and the prevention of underage drinking and substance abuse.

Founded as Students Against Driving Drunk in 1981 in Wayland, Massachusetts, SADD has grown to become the nation’s leading peer-to-peer youth education and prevention organization with thousands of chapters in middle schools, high schools and colleges. In 1997, in response to requests from SADD students themselves, SADD expanded its mission and name and now sponsors chapters called Students Against Destructive Decisions.

PHOTO: Jozzlynn Lewis, left, newly appointed to the National SADD teen advocacy board with Jill Spineti, President & CEO of The Governor’s Prevention Partnership.

CT to Offer Digital Media Education to Create Employment Pathway

Connecticut’s push to strengthen its digital media workforce continues this summer, with the second year of the Digital Media CT (DMCT) summer training program, developed in partnership by the Connecticut Office of Film, Television & Digital Media and the University of Connecticut. The program is aimed at high school juniors and seniors, current college students, college graduates with majors in communications/film/television, veterans, and professionals who want to explore digital media. The four-week and two-week programs, which both begin on July 9, are designed for individuals with a demonstrated interest in digital media who want to develop the basic skills necessary to potentially seek work in the industry or augment their current skill set.

DMCT students will explore the industry’s many facets learning about media production for web, film, television, games, communications and marketing, and receive specialized skills and hands-on experience needed to pursue careers in the digital media industry. Tracks include 3D Animation, Game Design, Motion Graphics Design, Social Media Management and Web Design.

All DMCT classes will be hosted at the University of Connecticut Stamford Campus and taught by UConn's Digital Media & Design faculty and complemented with lectures from local/regional professionals and industry experts. This approach is designed to “provide students with the valuable and unique opportunity to build relationships with accomplished practitioners in respective fields.”

The training will be presented in classroom format and will provide a comprehensive introductory overview of the digital media industry, disciplines, and processes. Each of the various sections of the program will feature daily introductory seminars focused on digital art and technology. Both day and evening programs are offered to accommodate current students and those with a flexible day schedule, as well as working professionals.

xpert guest lecturers from Connecticut companies will speak regarding subjects and crafts not included in the general curriculum.  Officials indicate that upon successful completion of the DMCT, trainees will have completed a portfolio worthy project consistent with their selected track and representative of their work and learning. They will also receive a certificate of completion from the Connecticut Office of Film, Television & Digital Media for their selected track.

The cost for the four-week session, 9:30 – 4:30 daily, is $500; the intensive two-week, Monday-Friday, evening session is $250.

The state’s Office of Film, Television and Digital Media supports and enhances Connecticut’s film, television and digital media industry. The film office is the statewide contact for motion picture, television and digital media production and serves as liaison between production companies, state agencies, municipalities, production facilities, local crew and vendors. The Office also administers the tax credit programs designed to incentivize the development of the industry here in Connecticut.

The Associated Press recently reported that Connecticut’s tax credit program provided $91.5 million in tax credits to 36 production companies that spent an estimated $348 million in fiscal year 2015 in the state on qualified digital and TV productions. The credit covers up to 30 percent of what's spent in Connecticut, ranging from salaries to rental equipment, according to the AP report.  The news story also indicated that the state’s job training emphasis in recent years has shifted from film-related jobs to television and digital media.

"We still have films that are shooting here, but really the lion's share of the production activity in the state is split between television and digital media. It's sort of our niche. That's sort of where we hunt," said George Norfleet, director of the Office of Film, Television and Digital Media, told the AP.

Blue Sky Studios, the digital animation studio in Greenwich, relocated to Connecticut from Westchester County, N.Y. in 2009, and Connecticut is home to ESPN, World Wrestling Entertainment, NBC Sports and NBCUniversal, which tapes Maury and the Jerry Springer Show at the Stamford Media Production Center in downtown Stamford.

More information is available from DMCT courses info@DigitalMediaCT.com or 860-270-8198.

13 CT School Districts Named Among Nation’s Best in Music Education

Thirteen Connecticut school districts are among 476 districts across the United States being recognized as among the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) for 2016. Now in its 17th year, BCME recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who work together to ensure access to music learning for all students as part of the school curriculum. The nearly 500 districts selected were culled from the nation’s 13,515 school districts.  The Connecticut districts selected are:

• Bethel Public School
• Bristol Public Schools
• Canton Public Schools
• Cheshire Public Schools
• Glastonbury Public Schools
• Newington School District
• Newtown Public Schools
• Simsbury Public Schools
• Southington Public Schools
• Torrington Public Schools
• West Hartford Public Schools
• Westport Public Schools
• Wilton Public Schools

An additional 118 school districts, including Windsor in Connecticut, were named Support Music Merit Schools.

The NAMM Foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs.  Founded in 2006, The NAMM Foundation represents the generosity and philanthropy of the music products industry.

The organization’s website, citing a 2015 national report, indicates that 83% of teachers and 73% of parents do not see music education as a luxury, and believe that cuts to music programs are detrimental to student success.  Citing an earlier study, Namm points out that students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, school districts provided detailed information about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs.

Studies have shown that there is a correlation exists between the amount of music training and the amount of improvement in reading fluency in children, and that music training improves scores in spatial-temporal reasoning used in higher levels of science and math.

In furtherance of music education, the NAMM Foundation and the Make Music Alliance are inviting interested businesses and organizations to organize a Make Music Day event. The annual global festival of music, “encourages first-time and seasoned music makers to come together on the longest day of the year to ‘Just Play’ and it is the perfect occasion to bring all people together to make music,” officials said.

Make Music Day is an annual celebration that occurs each June 21, when people in more than 700 cities around the world make music together on the summer solstice.

Connecticut Is 2016’s 2nd Best State for Working Dads; Two Norwalk Businesses Earn Spot Among Nation’s Top 50 for New Dads

Working fathers in Connecticut are in a great place, according to a newly released analysis.  Connecticut is ranked only behind only Minnesota as the 2^nd Best State for Working Dads, a glimpse of good news as Father’s Day approaches. Nearly 93 percent of dads with kids younger than 18 in the labor force, according to the personal-finance website WalletHub, which conducted an in-depth analysis of the Best & Worst States for Working Dads.

The top 10 states were Minnesota, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Virginia and North Dakota.  At the bottom of the list were Mississippi, West Virginia, Alaska and Nevada.

WalletHub analyzed the work-life balance, health conditions, financial well-being and child-rearing environments for working dads in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, using 20 key metrics, which range from day care quality to male life expectancy.

To identify the best and worst states for working dads, WalletHub analyzed the various factors in the work-life balance that affect paternal roles in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, focused on four key dimensions of fatherhood: 1) Economic & Social Well-Being, 2) Work-Life Balance, 3) Child Care and 4) Health.  Among the 20 factors included were parental leave policy, commute time, day care quality, pediatric services, median income, unemployment rate, and mental health.

Leading to its overall ranking of second in the analysis, Connecticut was 13^th in “economic and social well-being,” third in “work-life balance,” eighth in “child care,” and third in “health.”  Among the sub-categories, Connecticut was:

• 2nd – Male Life Expectancy at Birth
• 2nd – % of Kids Younger than 18 with Dad Present Living in Poverty
• 2nd – “Parental Leave Policy” Score
• 6th – Access to Pediatric Services
• 6th – % of Men Who Report Adequate or Any Physical Activity
• 7th – Male Uninsured Rate
• 14th – Average Freshman Graduation Rate for Men
• 16th – Mortality Rate due to Heart Disease per 100,000 Men
• 17th – Mean Hours Worked per Day Among Males
• 19^th - Median Income for Families (Dad Present) with Kids Younger than 18 Years, Adjusted for Cost of Living

Among the nation’s top businesses for new dad, an analysis by the website Fatherly, determined that two Connecticut-based companies – alcoholic beverages producer Diageo and financial data and analysis provider FactSet, earned slots in the top 50.  Fatherly is a digital lifestyle guide for men entering parenthood.

Just a handful of states had companies on the list:  California (18), New York (9), Oregon (4), Massachusetts (3) and Georgia, North Carolina, Washington DC, and Connecticut, with two each.

Norwalk’s Diageo ranked 34^th, and was praised for policies that include “employees receive up to 8 hours of school activity leave (up to 40 hours per year) so you won’t have to miss your kid’s big game or school play.”  FactSet, headquartered in Norwalk, ranked 46^th.  The company was praised because it “recently upped it’s paternity leave from one week to 4.”  FactSet has 8,000 employees in 21 countries.  Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with iconic brands in spirits, beer and wine, producing well-known brands from more than 200 sites in over 30 countries.

The top companies were Netflix, Spotify, Facebook, Patagonia, Bank of America, Pinterest, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Airbnb, Johnson & Johnson, Accenture, MasterCard, Intuit and Intel.

In addition, nine small businesses described as “leading the way,” were change.org (San Francisco), Laughing Planet Café (Portland), Upworthy (New York), Blue Corona (Maryland),  Badger Balm (New Hampshire), Square Root (Austin), Able Lending (Austin), Happy Family (New York) and ustwo (New York).

When Fatherly’s 50 Best Places To Work For New Dads was a year ago, nearly half the companies featured offered between one and 2 weeks of paid leave to fathers. Twelve months later, 7.5 weeks is the average, 35 percent of companies offer between 6 and 8 weeks, and another 12 companies offer between 10 weeks and a full year, the website pointed out, attributing much of the increase to tech companies, which make up nearly a third of companies on the top 50 list.

Data used to create the WalletHub report were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Council for Community and Economic Research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Partnership for Women & Families, the American Urological Association, the Social Science Research Council, Child Care Aware of America and WalletHub research.

Six State Commissions, Victims of Budget Consolidations, Disappear After Decades-Long Record of Achievement

After 43 years, the ironically-named Permanent Commission on the Status of Women began the organization’s final newsletter with an ironic observation:  “the PCSW had its most successful legislative session ever, celebrating the passage of four bills instrumental in protecting women's health and safety.” The PCSW is one of six legislative commissions eliminated in a last-minute budget compromise at the end of the legislative session a month ago.  The six ceased to exist on Thursday (June 9).  In their place will be two Commissions, each a mash-up of three of the organizations.

Wiped from the roster of state agencies are the PCSW, Legislative Commission on Aging, Commission on Children, Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, African American Affairs Commission and Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission.  Replacing them will be the Commission on Women, Children and Seniors and a Commission that merges the Latino, African-American and Asian Pacific American Commissions.

All staff members were effectively laid off, some applied for the handful of jobs that are to exist in support of the new Commissions.  The volunteer Commissioners will be holdovers, meaning that 63 Commissions will remain in place to set policy direction.

The 23 year old Commission on Aging was eliminated as Connecticut rapidly approaches a new, long-term reality—older adults will comprise an increasingly large proportion of the population.  At least 20 percent of almost every town’s population in the state will be 65 years of age or older by 2025, with some towns exceeding 40 percent.  Already, Connecticut is the 7^th oldest state in the nation.

The Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, the most recent of the six, was established in 2008 to respond to a growing population in Connecticut.  With the smallest budget, the agency struggled to gain traction, and was just beginning to fulfill its mission when the end arrived.  Connecticut's Asian American population grew from 95,368 in 2000 to 157,088 in 2010 – a 65% increase. Asians represent the majority minority in 40 percent of Connecticut school districts, according to the Commission. 

The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women was formed in 1973 to study and improve Connecticut women’s economic security, health and safety; to promote consideration of qualified women to leadership positions; and to work toward the elimination of gender discrimination.

Over the next four decades, the organization played a pivotal role in the passage of more than 50 significant pieces of legislation, often placing Connecticut at the forefront of progress towards greater justice or equal treatment for women.

That was certainly true in 2016, in what turned out to be, as was once said in a different context, the best of times and the worst of times.  This year, PCSW advocated for major initiatives that gained legislative approval:

• Allow judges to remove firearms during temporary restraining orders in domestic violence;
• Make affirmative consent the standard for investigating alleged campus sexual assaults;
• Establish a working group to study possible labor violations in the nail salon industry;
• Eliminate the discriminatory tax on feminine hygiene products and diapers;
• Dramatically strengthen anti-trafficking laws by: shifting the focus of arrests in prostitution cases to the "demand side"; raising penalties against buyers of sex; removing the "mistake of age" defense; and requiring hotels and motels to keep records of those who rent rooms by the hour; and
• Give judges authority to remove parental rights from rapists in cases of clear and convincing evidence of sexual assault resulting in pregnancy.

Established in 1997, the mission of the African-American Affairs Commission (AAAC) was to improve and promote the economic development, education, health and political well-being of the African-American community in the State of Connecticut.  The Commission has been at the forefront of a range of issues impacting the African American community in Connecticut, and its demise occurs when race relations and equal opportunity remain under heavy scrutiny in Connecticut and across the country.   

Glenn A. Cassis Executive Director of the African-American Affairs Commission, when the consolidation plan was announced, said merging the panels will cause "irreparable damage to the African-American community in Connecticut."

"The elimination of AAAC tells the African-American community that their issues are not important to the state,'' Cassis wrote in an open letter to the leaders of the General Assembly. "The message that resonates is that despite the successful efforts of the past to eliminate the disparities that exist for this constituency in education, health, economic development, criminal justice and incarceration, and social well-being have become marginalized. Years of progress made has been cut short from being fully impacted to the level that this growing segment of Connecticut’s population deserves and expects."

The Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission (LPRAC) was created by an act of the Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) in 1994. This 21 member non-partisan commission is mandated to make recommendations to the CGA and the Governor for new or enhanced policies that will foster progress in achieving health, safety, educational success, economic self-sufficiency, and end discrimination in Connecticut.  As of 2014, the state’s Hispanic population exceeded 500,000, about 15 percent of the state’s overall population.

In an Open Letter, LPRAC Executive Director Werner Oyanadel said “The decision to eliminate LRPAC does not in any way diminish the significant pride of the Commissioners and LPRAC staff, present and past, in the far-reaching and often ground-breaking work that has been accomplished to advance the quality of life for our state’s steadily growing Latino population.”  He added that “the end of a distinguished and impactful decades-long history does not diminish or eviscerate the landmark laws, policy-changing research and enduring impact of LPRAC on countless families, businesses and individuals of Hispanic heritage, and all the citizens of Connecticut.”

The Commission on Children, established in 1985, was borne of the legislature’s desire for the development of “policies that would ensure the health, safety, and education of Connecticut children.”  Said long-time Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman: “We feel we’ve succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest hopes, taking a leading role in issues as important—and diverse—as closing the achievement gap in reading, school climate, immunization, disaster planning for families, school readiness, children’s mental health, home visitation, youth employment, equity, and poverty reduction.”

One of the testimonials on the PCSW website, said succinctly: “The commission boldly tackles the issues that matter to my survival and prosperity! Their work to identify and eradicate inequality (whether of the deliberate kind or not), to serve as a public voice for women’s issues which are underrepresented in all public spheres, and to engage the public is integral in working toward a fair and just society.”

Regarding the state’s Latino population, Oyanadel said “the successor combined Commission will not be nearly the same; we can only hope that its impact will not be diluted or weakened, though we are concerned that our community will have a softer voice advocating for those issues of particular importance in and impact on the Latino community.”

Back in 2011, when consolidations and eliminations were under consideration by legislators, but ultimately not approved, as was the case repeatedly since the 2008 recession, Gov. Malloy told the CT Mirror: "If they asked my advice, I'd consolidate a bunch of them."

And in 2016, it came to pass.

Fast Forward Past Fiscal Crisis: CT Developing Goals for the Year 2041

New goals approved in the waning hours of the state legislative session focus not on the impending deficit in the next two years, but what Connecticut should look like a quarter-century from now. Fast forwarding to the future, the newly approved legislation establishes a “Connecticut 500 Project” to develop a plan to, within 25 years:

• Increase private sector jobs by 500,000;
• Increase Connecticut’s population by 500,000;
• Increase by 500 the number of start-up companies organized around Connecticut-developed intellectual property;
• Increase by 500 the number of students graduating from each state college and university;
• Achieve a national ranking within the top five for economic growth, public education, quality of life, and private sector employee salary;
• Maintain Connecticut’s position within the top five for productivity, higher education, and income per capita.

“This is an effort to reassert Connecticut as one of the strongest economies in the nation and in the world,” State Representative William Tong recently told WNPR. He's co-chair of the state’s Commission on Economic Competitiveness, and said the Connecticut 500 Project comes directly out of the work of the commission.  The commission will continue to flesh out the Connecticut 500 Project, and look to hire a private consultant to take the plan forward, WNPR reported.

Tong added that the project is modeled after similar efforts in states like New York, Minnesota, and Ohio, and one of its centerpieces will likely be to move away from Connecticut’s traditional suburban strategy, focusing instead on building population and business vitality in its urban cores.

Some of the groundwork begins sooner, and comes with a price tag.

The state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is required to establish a Talent Advisory Committee to assess shortages in the software development and other technology workforces, and develop pilot programs to correct such shortages.  And the Committee would develop knowledge enterprise zones around colleges and universities with the same benefits accorded entities in enterprise zones.

Details are still to be worked out as to how such an initiative would unfold, and the precise role of the state’s public and private institutions.  The committee would design a pilot program to recruit developers and train state residents over the next 10 years, according to the legislation.

The department’s First Five financial assistance program to encourage business expansion and job creation, is also expanded, as a means of hitting the lofty goals within the next two-and-a-half decades. 

The initiative, which began just a few years ago with five companies and has expanded almost every year since, providing loans and grants to Connecticut businesses as an incentive to remain in the state either despite, or because of, the steadily increasing state deficit driven in part by declining tax revenues.  The First Five program is increased once again under the bill to 20 projects from 15.

When it began in 2012, the companies identified to receive state funds were CIGNA, ESPN, NBC Sports, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, and CareCentrix.  Subsequent participating companies benefitting from the program include Deloitte, Bridgewater, Charter Communications, Sustainable Building Systems, Navigators, Synchrony Financial and PitneyBowes.

Earlier this spring, DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith told the legislature that over the last three years the program has provided $256 million to thirteen different companies. Smith stated that the companies have “committed to retain more than 13,500 jobs and to create between 2,600 and 5,264 jobs” and urged the program’s expansion and extended deadline (into 2019), which was ultimately granted.

Most recently, the state provided $22 million in loans and grants to the world’s biggest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, to stay in Connecticut – a decision that instantly received both praise and criticism, from Democrats and Republicans alike.

National Recognition for Charter Oak, Quinnipiac, Fairfield As State Stand-outs

Charter Oak State College, Connecticut’s public online college, has been ranked #2 of 100 colleges scored in the recently compiled Best College for Returning Adults. The national rank was awarded by College Factual and reported on the Forbes.com website. “We are very proud of this ranking. It speaks to the flexibility of and demand for our online workforce relevant programs, such as our new Master of Science in Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership, and the intense and successful focus on our mission of helping adults complete college degrees,” said Ed Klonoski, President, Charter Oak State College.

College Factual’s rankings specifically address “non-traditional students who actually make up the majority of degree-seekers” and include the following categories: students returning to college after dropping out or transferring; working adults seeking flexible options; students seeking distance learning options; and professional who want to utilize life experience to earn college credit.

Of Charter Oak, the website indicated “about 80% of the public school’s students are part-timers, and its online courses in liberal arts studies are among its most popular for returning adults.”  Factors deemed as “high importance” by College Factual were accreditation and early career salary boost.

Founded in 1973, Charter Oak State College is Connecticut’s only public online college, offering associate and bachelor’s degree completion programs in high-demand fields including Health Information Management, Health Care Administration, Cyber Security and Business Administration.

Another Connecticut school has received national recognition, as Military Times ranked the School of Business at Quinnipiac University as the best business school for veterans in Connecticut and the 24th best in the nation, according to its Best for Vets: Business Schools 2016 rankings.

The organization, made up of Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times, focused on culture and curriculum that cater to military veterans when conducting and scoring the fourth annual Best for Vets: Business Schools survey, a highly respected analysis of a graduate business school's complete offerings for veterans. As with all of the Best for Vets rankings, Best for Vets: Business Schools is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that make an institution a good fit for military veterans.

"Veterans have told us they were attracted to a business degree because it wouldn't tie them down to a certain industry," said Amanda Miller, editor of Best for Vets. "The survey lets us recognize the graduate business schools with close military connections that truly take vets' success to heart."

Matthew O'Connor, dean of the School of Business, said, "The School of Business is proud to be selected as a 2016 Best for Vets Business School by the Military Times. As an AACSB-accredited business school, we offer a wide variety of high-quality business programs and student services”

He added, “Our excellent internship program and enviable track record for helping graduates secure full-time employment is particularly attractive to veterans. Quinnipiac is proud of the service of military personnel and veterans and celebrates the contributions they make to our University."

The rankings were published in full in the issues of Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times and online.

Quinnipiac University also recently announced that the Hamden-based university will be adding a School of Engineering in the fall, breaking off from what has been the School of Business and Engineering, which offered engineering courses to students during the past four years.  The School of Engineering becomes that university’s ninth school leading to a bachelor of science degrees. It will of offer engineering degrees in civil, industrial, mechanical, software engineering and computer science.

Dr. Justin Kile has been appointed the founding dean of the new school after previously serving as Quinnipiac’s associate dean of engineering since 2013. He will guide the school through the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s yearlong approval process.

Regarding business schools in the state, Bloomberg recently concuded a study of the best U.S. undergraduate business schools, ranking Fairfield No. 1 in Connecticut with an overall national ranking of 43rd.The school jumped 15 spots from last year's rankings.

The other Connecticut business schools on the list were University of Connecticut, ranked 72^nd; Quinnipiac University, 91^st; Sacred Heart University, 92^nd; University of Hartford, 101st; and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, ranked at number 104. The elements that contributed to the rankings included an employer survey, student survey, starting salaries of graduates and internships available as part of the curriculum.

Another distinction for Fairfield University: the school is among nine universities nationwide to receive accreditation from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and its affiliate, the Center for Effective Reading Instruction, for having met the standards outlined in IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.

The Certificate of Advanced Study (6th year), Reading and Language Development program in GSEAP received the designation.

The IDA Standards provide a framework for course content in university and other teacher preparation programs, offering research-supported documentation of what teachers ought to know and be able to demonstrate when teaching dyslexic students.  The standards also apply to the teaching of other struggling readers or the general student population.

The goal of the standards initiative is to promote consistent and high-quality teacher preparation to improve outcomes for those who struggle with written language. Fairfield’s Sixth Year Professional Certificate in Reading and Language Development is open to those who have received their master’s in education degree.

"We are very excited about this national recognition from IDA. Elementary teachers and even Reading Specialists are not prepared with the tools and training to diagnose and intervene with children with dyslexia; this program addresses that," said Robert Hannafin, Phd., Dean of GSEAP. "We are committed to helping all students read and particularly struggling readers."

CT An Also-Ran Among States in Entrepreneurial Growth, Despite Some Gains

Connecticut ranks 13^th among the nation’s 25 smaller states – and 36^th overall - in the growth of entrepreneurship, according to a new study and state-by-state analysis by Kauffman Foundation.  A year ago, the state ranked 17^th among the smaller states, slightly improving its ranking in the latest data.  The rate of start-up growth in Connecticut increased to 45.5 percent in the 2016 report, compared with 23.6 percent the previous year. The “share of scale-ups” also increased, from 1.29 percent in last year’s analyses to 1.33 percent this year.  Scale-ups measures the number of firms that started small but grew to employ fifty people or more by their tenth year of operation as a percentage of all employer firms ten years or younger.

One metric that dropped slightly measured high-growth company density – the number of private businesses with a least $2 million in annual revenue reaching three years of 20 percent annual revenue growth normalized by total business population.  Connecticut moved from 55.1 a year ago to 48.8 in the 2016 report.  Both researchers and entrepreneurs have suggested density as a key indicator of vibrancy in entrepreneurial ecosystems, and there is high variation on this indicator across U.S. states, according to the report.

The Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship, released this week,  is an indicator of business growth in the United States, “integrating several high-quality sources of timely information into one composite indicator of entrepreneurial business growth.”

In rankings by industry, Connecticut ranked in the top five among the 25 smaller states in two five categories – 3^rd in Business Products & Services and 3^rd in Software.  The state was ranked outside the top five in high-growth companies in the IT Services, Advertising & Marketing and Health industries.

Overall, the Growth Entrepreneurship Index rose in 2016 in thirty-nine states in the last year, indicating a continued return of broad-based business growth, the report concluded.

• Among the twenty-five largest states, the five states with the highest Growth Entrepreneurship Index were Virginia, Maryland, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Texas.
• Among the twenty-five smallest states, the five states with the highest Growth Entrepreneurship Index were Utah, New Hampshire, Delaware, North Dakota, and Oklahoma. (Connecticut ranked 13^th)

While most states experienced an increase in growth entrepreneurship activity, changes in state rankings— which measure relative yearly performance across states, as opposed to performance relative to a state’s own growth entrepreneurship rates in the previous year—were different. Twenty-three states ranked higher than they did last year, seven experienced no changes in rankings, and twenty ranked lower, the report pointed out.

"Growth entrepreneurship directly contributes to the economy through creating jobs, innovation and wealth," said Arnobio Morelix, senior research analyst at the Kauffman Foundation, which conducts the annual study.

Virginia took first place in growth entrepreneurship activity among the 25 largest states, followed by Maryland, Arizona, Massachusetts and Texas. Kauffman researchers said it is no coincidence that two of the top states include the highly entrepreneurial Washington, D.C., metro area. Among larger states, 12 ranked higher than they did last year, four experienced no change in rankings and nine ranked lower.

Among the 25 largest states, the five that experienced the biggest increase in rank from 2015 to 2016 were North Carolina (15 to 8), Alabama (13 to 9), Ohio (16 to 12), Tennessee (18 to 14) and Arizona (6 to 3).

The five large states that saw the greatest decrease in rank in 2016 were, with a tie for fifth place, New Jersey (8 to 20), Pennsylvania (10 to 16), Illinois (14 to 17), Wisconsin (20 to 23), Louisiana (4 to 6) and South Carolina (11 to 13).

Among the 25 smallest states, Utah led growth entrepreneurship activity, followed by New Hampshire, Delaware, North Dakota and Oklahoma. Eleven states ranked higher than they did last year, three experienced no change in rankings and 11 ranked lower.

The five small states that saw the biggest increase in rank were Mississippi (22 to 10), Wyoming (23 to 15), North Dakota (11 to 4), Nevada (15 to 8) and Connecticut (17 to 13).

Next Digital Citizenship Summit will be at Twitter Headquarters, One Year After Hartford Area Launch

What a difference a year makes.  The Digital Citizenship Summit, launched last year in Greater Hartford at the University of Saint Joseph, will be hosted at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco on October 28 this year, as the launch event for U.S. Media Literacy Week at the social media giant’s global headquarters. The Digital Citizenship Summit, described as the only global network of summits and projects focused on the safe, savvy & ethical use of social media and tech, was developed locally and has quickly grown internationally, with sessions taking root across the globe. 

A major gathering of organizations, industry, parenting experts, students, and more, will bring together new, well-known, and unexpected voices from a wide variety of backgrounds for a fast-paced and energetic mix of presentations, panels, videos, and awards at Twitter headquarters this fall.

The day will be live-streamed to a large global audience, and seeks to broaden the appeal and accessibility to digital citizenship and media literacy. "Digital Citizenship" has been defined by Dr. Mike Ribble, author of Digital Citizenship in Schools, as "the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use."

The Digital Citizenship Summit will serve as the kick-off event for Media Literacy Week (October 31-November 4) led by the National Association for Media Literacy (NAMLE). Media literacy “is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, communicate and create using all forms of media,” and an area of heightened relevance so close to the presidential election.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Digital Citizenship Summit and Twitter on this event,” says Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, Executive Director of NAMLE. “We are excited about bringing thought leaders in digital citizenship and media literacy together. There is so much to be done to ensure a media literate world and exploring digital citizenship is a great way to get the conversation going.”

“Society has adopted new social media platforms and technologies before we have collectively had the chance to determine what constitutes safe, savvy, and ethical behavior,” says Digital Citizenship Summit co-founder David Ryan Polgar of West Hartford.

“There are multiple stakeholders who desire an active role in the process, including students, educators, parents, administrators, media specialists, and organizational leaders. All of these groups have crucial insight, and the Digital Citizenship Summit was setup to bring these voices together to solve current issues regarding social media and tech use,” Polgar said.

The issues, according to Polgar, are endless. “Some major areas of concern include how smartphones should or shouldn’t be used in the classroom, finding ways to improve civility online, adjusting to an Internet that never forgets our posts, and being able to determine the veracity of what we read online.”

By bringing together a broad range of experts, organizations, and interested parties, the Digital Citizenship Summit on October 28th aims to take a multi-stakeholder participatory approach to solving some of the vexing issues regarding social media and tech use.

Partnering organizations include the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), Common Sense Media, Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), #iCANHELP, ConnectSafely, iKeepSafe, and Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids & Families.

The inaugural Digital Citizenship Summit in the United Kingdom was held earlier this year and another is already being planned in that nation, and plans are now being developed for similar initiatives in St. Louis as well as Ireland and Australia later this year.  A Summit was held in Wisconsin last month.

“We are thrilled to have the involvement of so many prominent organizations,” says co-founder Dr. Marialice B.F.X. Curran. “By collaborating on this event we can expose a wide audience with some incredible resources that can be used at home or in the classroom.” “At the same time,” chimes in her co-founder David Ryan Polgar, “the open and collaborative nature will bring forward new voices that can influence this important conversation around social media and tech use.”

“We want people impacted by tech and social media to feel empowered,” Curran continues. “Instead of being reactive, we want people to be active participants in the digital future. We want people to be the digital change.”

Media Literacy Week (#MediaLitWk) is designed to bring attention and visibility to media literacy education in the United States. Inspired by Canada’s Media Literacy Week, the National Association for Media Literacy Education is leading the efforts to create a media literacy week in the United States to showcase the work of amazing media literacy educators and organizations around the country. The mission of Media Literacy Week is to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education today.

The Digital Citizenship Summit is a global network of summits and projects focused on the safe, savvy, and ethical use of technology and social media. They are dedicated to creating a new culture in which everyone—particularly the next generation of digital natives, educators and parents—has a voice, and feels empowered to use it. The Digital Citizenship Summit brings diverse groups together to connect in person, join the conversation and take an active role in creating positive digital change on both a local and global level.

The first Digital Citizenship Summit was held on October 3, 2015 at the University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut. It drew over 220 educators, students, parents, administrators, organizations, and members of industry, and trended #1 in the nation (#digcitsummit).