Business Summit in Hartford to Focus on Trends in CyberSecurity, Technology, Collaboration

The WorkSmart Hartford Summit, one of the largest complimentary Business and IT conferences in New England & New York, is all about staying ahead of the curve with business and technology. The Summit, to be held on May 10 at the Connecticut Convention Center, comes amidst heightened interest in cybersecurity and related IT issues. “We’re proud to work with our trusted partners to share a variety of perspectives on evolving business, IT and security trends, such as cybersecurity, compliance and regulations, business intelligence, data and analytics, team collaboration, cloud technologies and more,” conference organizers emphasized.

“WorkSmart is such a unique event because it evolves each year based on our clients’ business needs,” said Christopher Luise, Executive Vice President of ADNET Technologies. “Each year, our partners and subject matter experts from the ADNET team come together to share their knowledge with the business community. It’s exciting for us to be part of these interactive discussions that change the way people do business.”

The day-long event is produced by ADNET Technologies, a technology consulting firm with offices in Farmington, CT and Albany, NY. The company’s mission is to “connect people, process and technology to help our clients build a better business.”  Founded in 1991, ADNET “guides clients to better ways to connect, collaborate and compete in a global market.” This is the 13^th year ADNET has produced WorkSmart Hartford.

The Summit will feature nearly a dozen sessions and speakers, many from local businesses, highlighting best practices and latest developments in a range of technology arenas.

Morning keynote speakers Brian Foley, Deputy Chief of Investigations and Sergeant Johnmichael B. O'Hare, both of the Hartford Police Department, will speak about how the HPD uses cutting-edge technology combined with in-person police work to make the city safer. The "C4 Unit", or Capitol City Command Center, uses real-time web intelligence and social media monitoring to investigate leads, map criminal activity and proactively prevent crime.

Keynote Speaker Rob Thomas is a business development consultant, principal of Milford-based Rob Thomas CT and the creator of the Rob Thomas Method (RTM) of Networking, a step-by-step coaching process that helps professionals cultivate and grow business by building more effective relationships.  He will discuss how to grow business by identifying and building a network of effective relationships.

Included among the day’s sessions:

• Instead of simply trying to protect from the inevitable breach, organizations must adjust their focus and be ready to respond by mitigating their risk and liability should a security incident occur. In one session, Eric Monda, IT Security Analyst, Offensive Security Certified Professional and Certified Ethical Hacker at ADNET Technologies, will share best practices all organizations should implement prior to being affected by a security breach.
• Every major security breach will create some level of chaos initially; how long this chaos lasts is the true measure of an organization’s preparedness and ability to respond and recover from a cyber incident. A presentation by Robert Coro of Marcum will focus on Incident Response Planning and Playbook development.
• There are many layers of protection that can be implemented and not one is a magic wand that casts an impenetrable bubble around your data. In this session, Anthony Conti and Joanna Mack of Continuum will outline the present threat landscape, discuss the anatomy of an attack, common misconceptions, and how to work with your technology partner to manage risk.

There will also be a session on HIPAA compliance, changes in cloud options and data centers, how to automate processes to improve efficiency, and the ‘Global Cyber Arms Race.”

Joining ADNET in supporting the WorkSmart Summit are presenting sponsor Marcum LLP, as well as Continuum, SonicWall, SphereGen, Rob Thomas CT, Reduxio, ACT Group, Connecticut Society of CPAs, One Connect, Intermedia, Omni Data, Great America Financial Services and the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce.  More information and registration is available at https://worksmartsummit.com

2017 event photo by J. Fiereck Photography

Children's Champions to Be Recognized for Commitment, Leadership

Two leading advocates for Connecticut children who have followed very different paths to impact the well-being of young people will be honored by The Center for Children’s Advocacy as Connecticut’s 2018 Champion of Children Award recipients later this month. Fran Rabinowitz, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) and Abdul-Rahmaan I. Muhammad, Executive Director of My People Clinical Services in Hartford will be honored at the Center’s annual Spring for Kids event to be held at Infinity Hall in Hartford on May 8, 2018.

Fran Rabinowitz has been a dedicated and respected Connecticut educational leader for over 30 years. Prior to her appointment at CAPSS, she served as Associate Commissioner of Education for the State of Connecticut, Superintendent of Hamden Public Schools, and Interim Superintendent of Bridgeport Public Schools.

In announcing her selection, organizers indicated that “in every challenging position, Ms. Rabinowitz has demonstrated vision, courage and passion in her forceful advocacy for the educational needs of every student.”

Abdul-Rahmann I. Muhammad leads My People Clinical Services, a community-based social service organization that helps Hartford-area youth and families rebuild their lives. Services include therapeutic support and crisis intervention, helping youth overcome the impact of family disruption, domestic violence, substance abuse and other barriers to health and safety.

Through collaborations with state, educational and other community based organizations, My People aspires to be a leading organization for positive change, supported transition and permanency for children, young adults and families. In announcing Muhammad’s selection as an award recipient, organizers stressed that “his focus on Hartford’s underserved youth provides critically needed support.”

My People Clinical Services sponsors many community events such as the Daddy Daughter Dance and the Female Empowerment Conference. He also launched The Dream Support Network in 2007, to encourage, inspire and support individuals to live the life of their dreams. The signature programs of the Dream Support Network are Ice Cream for a Dream (where free ice cream is exchanged for dreams) and the Dream Chaser Program.

The Center for Children’s Advocacy is the largest children’s legal rights organization in New England, fighting for the legal rights of Connecticut’s most vulnerable children. Areas of focus include protecting and defending abused and neglected children, improving child health, supporting teens and homeless youth, improving educational success, helping immigrant children, reducing racial disparities, promotion youth voice and reducing involvement with the juvenile justice system.  Martha Stone is founder, two decades ago, and Executive Director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy.

Tickets and information are available on the Center for Children’s Advocacy website at cca-ct.org or from Susan Stein at sstein@cca-ct.org.

Women in Manufacturing Summit Slated for May Amidst Increasing Focus

The Business, Management, and Advanced Manufacturing Department at Goodwin College has announced its inaugural Women of Manufacturing Summit to be held on Wednesday, May 16. Connecticut is home to 4,011 manufacturing firms that employ more than 159,000 workers – and employment opportunities are expected to increase in the coming years. Key industries include transportation equipment (primarily aerospace, submarines, and automotive), chemicals, fabricated metals, electrical equipment, computer and electronic products, machinery, pharmaceutical and medical, and plastics

The event will be held at the College’s Business and Manufacturing Center, One Pent Road in East Hartford, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

The Summit will bring together individuals interested in encouraging women to consider career options in business and manufacturing. Business leaders, educators, and students will participate in discussions focused on dispelling myths about today’s manufacturing environments; the variety and volume of job opportunities; compensation issues; and shift options for women, particularly those balancing family responsibilities and continuing education.

A photographic exhibit, courtesy of Jobs to Move America and sponsored by Andrews Benefits of Farmington, will feature women in all areas of modern manufacturing.

“Partnerships between businesses and educational organizations can help identify a successful employee fit prior to hiring and lead to entry-level positions,” said Melanie Hoben, Director of Workforce Development at Goodwin College. “We realized that, with our experienced faculty and our industry partners, we have a prime opportunity to host a Summit that encourages discussions among these stakeholders as well as women seeking pathways into the workforce.”

Goodwin currently offers business and manufacturing programs that range from certificates to associate and bachelor’s degrees. While there are some 13,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, women seldom see themselves pursuing those viable careers.

“Women are significantly underrepresented in the manufacturing industry, and we are committed to changing that dynamic,” Hoben adds. “Opportunities like this Summit will help harness an untapped talent pool, inform women of the opportunities for well-paid, rewarding work, and allow them to network with some of the region’s visionary business leaders.”

CBIA partnered with the NSF Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities last year to survey the state's manufacturers about their hiring expectations and workforce challenges for the next three years.

The survey found that almost every manufacturer surveyed expects to grow their workforce in the next three years. Forty-two percent of manufacturers in Connecticut said they anticipated near-term workforce growth, while 44% predicted flat growth, and 14% have contracted out work. With an average hiring rate of 22 people per year, manufacturers responding to the survey last year said they expected to hire primarily full-time employees by the end of 2019.

Women in Manufacturing, a national organization dedicated to supporting, promoting and inspiring women who are pursuing or have chosen a career in the manufacturing industry, held their annual summit in Hartford at the Connecticut Convention Center last fall.

The conference included plant tours at some of the area's most advanced facilities including CNC Software, Hartford Flavor Company, TRUMPF Inc., and Pratt & Whitney. The Milken Institute's State Technology and Science Index, evaluating each state's tech and science capabilities, ranked Connecticut sixth in the country in 2016.

In the survey of Connecticut businesses conducted for CBIA, graduates of major universities (such as the University of Connecticut), Connecticut's private colleges, and private occupational schools are largely viewed as highly qualified job candidates (78%, 75%, and 74% of respondents, respectively, are somewhat satisfied or extremely satisfied).

Recommendations for how educational institutions could address the skills deficit problem include a greater emphasis on technical training and skills (60%), integration of employability skills such as punctuality and professionalism (57%), greater access to internships (38%), opportunities for career development (35%), and more rigorous preparation in basic skills like reading, writing, and math (28%), according to the survey.

Seven of the state’s public community colleges participate in an Advanced Manufacturing Technology program, with the curriculum offered to students at Asnuntuck Community College, Housatonic Community College, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Quinebaug Valley Community College, Manchester Community College, Middlesex Community College and Three Rivers Community College.  Specialties range from welding and mechatronics to CAD/CAM programming, tool & die to precision sheet metal fabrication, and additive manufacturing to computer numerical machining. Not all the programs are offered at all seven of the state colleges.

Reservations (requested by May 9) for the Goodwin College summit can be made at www.goodwin.edu/summit.

School Resource Officers Gain Attention in Aftermath of School Shootings

School resource officers (SROs) are sworn police officers who typically perform a number of community policing roles to make schools safer for students and staff, including community liaison, mentor, role model, and law enforcement officer.  A new report from the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research (OLR), looked at nearly 70 Connecticut school districts with at least one SRO. With the assistance of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, OLR, the legislature’s non-partisan research arm, surveyed and researched 113 public school districts in Connecticut to learn whether SROs are utilized in their elementary, middle, or high schools.

Of the 113 districts, 70 were found to be utilizing SROs in some manner. SROs in Connecticut are primarily assigned to middle and high schools but often visit elementary schools in their district. They also may assist in the development of school policies that concern criminal activity and school safety, as well as teach classes in substance abuse awareness, gang resistance, and crime prevention, according to OLR.

Financial cost per SRO varies between municipalities and is sometimes unknown to the district, the report indicated.  Generally SROs are funded by the board of education or provided by local police departments through memoranda of understanding (MOU) with the school district.

Last month, the Wallingford Board of Education called for funding for four police officers to serve as SRO’s, one at each middle school and high school in town, along with other safety items, the Meriden Record-Journal reported.

Plymouth is considering bringing a school resource officer back to the school, in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting.  The school resource officer position was eliminated two years ago due to budget cuts, NBC Connecticut reported.  And Westport Now has reported that Westport’s Board of Education voted 5 to 2 in March to approve the concept of having an armed school resource officer in its schools.

Communities with the highest number of School Resource Officers in their local school district, among the towns surveyed, are New Haven (12), West Hartford (6), Bethel (5), Manchester (5), Meriden (5), and West Haven (5). Communities with four School Resource Officers include East Harford, Milford, and Monroe.  The remaining school districts surveyed have three or fewer.

Numerous districts have SRO’s in place, but the range of responsibilities – as well as the numbers - vary.

In Newington, for example, the SRO was initially funded by a grant; currently the Board of Education and the Police Department share the annual cost of the program.  The SRO at the local high school works full-time in conjunction with the education system to address a myriad of issues facing the high school population.

Manchester’s SRO’s are trained to fulfill three primary roles, according to the town police website. “First and foremost they are Law Enforcement Officers, whose main purpose is to keep the peace in their schools. Second, they are law related mentors who provide guidance and information to students, their families, and school staff. Thirdly, they are law related ‘teachers’, who can provide the schools with additional resources by sharing their expertise in the classroom (when requested and available).”

In Darien, the SRO's days are spent meeting with students, administration, support staff, and parents in regards to various issues or concerns, according to the police department website. The SRO also “visits classrooms to give guest lessons on alcohol and drugs, search and seizure, and other law-related topics. The SRO often attends extra-curricular events, in an effort to further immerse himself into the community and increase familiarity.”

New Haven’s SRO program, which was established in 1994, consists of 12 uniformed officers that are assigned to middle and high schools.  The program, according to the city website, “allows both home and school to be aware of any situation that may impact the health and safety of students, as well as the monitoring of those who show signs of at-risk or delinquent behavior. This interaction provides a valuable resource to keep our children out of trouble during their school years and keeping their focus on education and commitment to family and community.”

Women’s Economic Status in Connecticut Among Best in Nation, But Still Insufficient

Women are faring better in Connecticut than in most states in the nation, according to a new analysis that focused on data in two central areas of everyday life – Employment & Earnings and Poverty & Opportunity. Connecticut ranked 4^th in the Employment and Earnings category, earning a B+, and 4^th in the Poverty and Opportunity category, with a B- grade.

Status of Women in the States is a project of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a comprehensive project that presents and analyzes data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Institute suggests that the data can be used “to raise awareness, improve policies, and promote women’s equality.”

Connecticut’s grade for women’s Employment & Earnings, B+, has improved since the 2004 Status of Women in the States report.  Its grade for women’s Poverty & Opportunity, B-, has dropped since 2004.

In the subcategories of Employment and Earnings, Connecticut ranked Connecticut ranked 2nd in median annual earnings for women employed full-time, 5^th in the percent of all employed women in managerial or professional occupations, 13^th in the percent of women in the labor force, and 38^th in the earnings ratio between women and men employed full-time, year-round.

The Employment & Earnings Index measures states on women’s earnings, the gender wage gap, women’s labor force participation, and women’s representation in professional and managerial occupations. The top states were District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.

Women working full-time, year-round have the highest earnings in the District of Columbia, where women’s median annual earnings are $65,000. Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey are tied for second, with women in those states earning $50,000 at the median.

In the Poverty and Opportunity subcategories, Connecticut ranked 2^nd in the percent of women age 18 and older above poverty, 5^th in the percent of women age 25 and older with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 10^th in the percent of women age 18-64 with health insurance, and 29^th in the percent of businesses owned by women.

New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey have the highest rates of women living above poverty in the country at 89.2 percent, 88.4 percent, 88.1 percent, and 88.1 percent, respectively.

The report noted that women in Connecticut aged 16 and older who work full-time, year-round have median annual earnings of $50,000, which is 76.9 cents on the dollar compared with men who work full-time, year-round. Hispanic women earn just 47 cents for every dollar earned by White men, according to the report. According to the report’s analysis, if employed women in Connecticut were paid the same as comparable men, their poverty rate would be reduced by more than half and poverty among employed single mothers would be cut in half.

In Connecticut, 32.7 percent of businesses in 2012 were owned by women, up from 28.1 percent in 2007.  The report also indicates that 94.2 percent of Connecticut’s women aged 18 to 64 have health insurance coverage, which is above the national average for women of 89.4 percent.

The report, published in March 2018, concludes that “Women in Connecticut have made considerable advances in recent years but still face inequities that often prevent them from reaching their full potential.”

Advancing Racial Equity in Nonprofits to be Among Themes for National Conference in Hartford

When members of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, a national association based in St. Louis, hold their 20^th anniversary conference this fall, they will be gathering in Hartford.  The conference, “Re-envisioning Our Field:  Advancing Racial Equity & Leading Innovation in Capacity Building,” will be held October 10-12 at the Hartford Hilton. The organization’s Board Chair is Anne Yurasek, Principal of Fio Partners, which is based in Chester, CT.  Yurasek has been an organizational development consultant and trainer for over twenty years in the nonprofit and private sector.

The Alliance is the “national voice and catalyst for the field of capacity building.”  The organization’s mission is to “increase the effectiveness of the individuals, groups and organizations that help nonprofits and communities achieve positive social change.”  The Alliance seeks to “create spaces for professional dialogue and learning by amplifying research in the field and promoting its implications for effective practice.”

More than 250 attendees will include consultants, coaches, funders, academics, and executives from across the country. The conference intends to “convene the diverse perspectives that shape and advance our field.”

The conference provides participants with the chance to “convene, dialogue, learn, shape and advance our field for the good of the nonprofits and communities we serve,” official explained.  The theme was selected because now “is a critical time for our field to reflect, to learn together, and to consider how our work should evolve to address racial inequities in our society. From amplifying emerging approaches to reflecting on research and exploring its implications for practice,” participants are urged to “bring your perspectives, experiences, and energy” to the annual conference.

The three-day event includes presentation opportunities with local nonprofits, work-sessions for Affinity & Interest Groups, twenty-plus workshop sessions “curated for capacity builders by capacity builders, and thought provoking plenary sessions.”

The Alliance for Nonprofit Management is the result of the 1997 merger of the Nonprofit Management Association and Support Centers of America. The organization is described as unique as a cross-sector professional association of individuals and organizations that are devoted to increasing the effectiveness of the individuals, groups and organizations that help nonprofits and communities achieve positive social change.

The 2017 conference was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Museums Have Significant Impact on State, National Economy, Report Concludes

Museums in Connecticut had a one-year total financial impact on Connecticut’s economy of $834 million, providing $556 million in income via wages and other income to state residents, generating $223.5 million in taxes (including $77.5 million in state and local taxes), and supporting just over 10,200 jobs – including 5,400 direct jobs, 1,877 indirect jobs and nearly 3,000 induced jobs. The data was compiled as part of a national report, Museums as Economic Engines, compiled the Alliance of American Museums. The report indicates that nationwide, museums support 726,000 jobs in the United States, and directly employ 372,100 people, more than double that of the professional sports industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Alliance points out.

The study, conducted by Oxford Economics with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, shows that for every $100 of economic activity created by museums, an additional $220 is created in other sectors of the US economy as a result of supply chain and employee expenditure impacts, according to the report.  The data analyzed was from calendar year 2016, the most recent full year of data available.

These impacts mean that museums contribute approximately $50 billion to the US economy each year, a number that’s more than twice previous estimates, according to the Alliance.  The report is also the first to show that US museums generate more than $12 billion per year in tax revenue to federal, state, and local governments.

The report estimated that there are 372,100 museum workers employed in the US along with 3 million volunteers.  It also indicated that 89 percent of Americans believe that museums provide important economic impacts back to their communities, according to a public opinion survey conducted in 2017.

Nationally, the museum field’s largest economic impact is on the leisure and hospitality industry (approximately $17 billion), but it also generates approximately $12 billion in the financial activities sector and approximately $3 billion each in the education/health services and manufacturing sectors.

The top 10 states driving this impact are geographically diverse and account for 57 percent of the gross value added to the national economy. States with the highest economic impact from the museum sector included California ($6.6 billion), New York ($5.4 billion), and Texas ($3.9 billion). However, those that rely most heavily on museums due to their relatively higher concentration, the report indicated, include the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Wyoming, and Alaska.

In breaking down the jobs impact of museums, direct impact refers to direct employment and spending by the industry’s business operations; indirect impact includes supply-chain effects, stemming from industry’s operations (e.g. legal services, utilities, etc.) and induced impact describes the impact resulting from employees spending their incomes in the economy.

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), founded in 1906, now represents more than 35,000 professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners in the sector.

New Citizens Sworn In, Distinguished Immigrants Honored at State Capitol Ceremonies

Fifteen recent immigrants living in Connecticut took the oath of allegiance as American citizens on Wednesday during a special court session to be held at the State Capitol.  Minutes after the new Americans were sworn in as citizens, the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition (CIRC) honored eight longtime state residents who have made significant contributions to life in Connecticut. The individuals honored on the 21^st Annual Connecticut Immigrant Day came to the United States from Belarus, Italy, Vietnam, Poland, Egypt, Pakistan, India and Taiwan.  The new Americans citizens came to the U.S. from Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Guatemala, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Russia and Syria.

“Immigrants have always been – and continue to be – an abundant and enduring strength of our great nation,” said Robert Fishman, Executive Director of the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition (CIRC), which sponsored the observance with the Office of Secretary of the State. “Connecticut is fortunate to have many remarkable individuals who have contributed tremendously to our state, and as we honor them we are also inspired by the newest group of proud and determined immigrants to take the oath of allegiance as Americans.”

The court session that administered the oath to 15 new Americans was presided over by The Honorable Donna F. Martinez, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Connecticut.

Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman shared brief remarks at the ceremony, recalling her grandfather’s journey to America.  The CIRC award recipients at this year’s 21st annual ceremony included residents of Avon, Trumbull, Farmington, Norwich, Monroe and East Hartford, in addition to West Hartford.  The National Anthem was led by Chris Nelson, a native of Ghana and current Goodwin College student.  The Governor’s Foot Guard presented the colors at the start of the ceremony, which was led by Chris George of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services.

The mission of CIRC, a coalition of about a dozen organizations across Connecticut, is to promote the rights and opportunities of immigrants and refugees in Connecticut and to foster their civic participation.

The individuals honored are:

• Bassam Gayed, born in Egypt, is Multicultural Services Coordinator at the Otis Library in Norwich.
• Irena Rak Dzierzbinski, born in Belgium, teaches French and Spanish in middle school in Darien and is active in Girl Scouts. She hosts a Polish-English radio program at Fairfield University.
• Naeem Khalid, born in Pakistan, started Sam’s Food stores and employs 1,000 in his businesses. He formed a charity, Sam’s Children, to assist needy children in Connecticut and is active with the Pakistan American Association of Connecticut.
• Ruth Lazowski, born in Belarus, is a Holocaust survivor who speaks with school groups.
• Cary Lakenbach, born in Italy, is the current Board Chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and an actuary.
• Bruce Tsan-Tang Liang, born in Taiwan, is the Dean of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
• Vani Nidadavolu, born in India, operates an Indian Dance School and works part-time for Edward A. Jones. She holds an MA in Commerce and is a Philanthropist.
• Trinh K. Duong, born in Vietnam, came to Connecticut as a refugee and now works with new refugees and immigrants, helping them to resettle. She received her degree in Accounting from UConn.

In addition, Alicia Kinsman, Director and Managing Attorney of Immigration Legal Services at the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants received the Myra M. Oliver Memorial Award, and two student groups were presented with the Angela R. Andersen Memorial Award, created to honor students who demonstrate deep commitment to issues impacting refugees and immigrants.

Sixth-graders from the Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication in New London were recognized for their project, “Community Faces-Humanizing the Immigrant Label,” parts of which were on display at the Capitol.  The second group was Teens4Citizenship, a Hartford Public Library and Hartford Public Schools collaborative program. As "Citizenship Guides," these high school immigrant students support family and community members on the path to Citizenship and upon turning 18 pursue their own citizenship.

Member organizations in the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition include: Milan Cultural India Association, Polish American Foundation of CT, The American Place at the Hartford Public Library, Catholic Charities Migration Services, Connecticut Coalition of Mutual Assistance, Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS), Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford, Legal Assistance Resource Center, Center for Urban Research, Education and Training, Pakistani American Association of CT, Hellenic Society of Paideia and World Affairs Council of Connecticut.

More Than 1,500 College Students from CT Save Average of $7,700 in Tuition in New England Program

Seventy-eight percent of college students from Connecticut participating this academic year in a reciprocal tuition reduction program coordinated by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) attend undergraduate programs at state colleges and universities.  That’s the highest participation level at state colleges and universities among the six New England states, and provides Connecticut students, on average, with $7,747 in tuition savings.  That's the third highest average tuition savings among the six states. In an annual report on the Regional Student Program (RSP), also known as Tuition Break, NEBHE reported that more than $59 million in tuition savings was provided during academic year 2017-18 to 8,654 participating students throughout the region.  Just over 1,500 of them are from Connecticut.

The RSP allows eligible residents of the six New England states to pay a reduced tuition rate when they enroll at out-of-state public colleges and universities within the region and pursue approved degree programs not offered by their home-state public institutions. In some cases, students may be eligible when their home is closer to an out-of-state college than to an in-state college. Connecticut residents are eligible for more than 500 undergraduate and graduate degree programs with the RSP Tuition Break.

There were more students coming in to Connecticut public institutions of higher education from other New England states than Connecticut students pursuing their education elsewhere in the region.  There were 239 students from Connecticut attending community colleges elsewhere in the region, while 197 students came into Connecticut.

Among the institutions seeing the highest number of incoming students in the Tuition Break program were the University of Connecticut (724 undergraduate students), Asnuntuck Community College (163) and Eastern Connecticut State University (172).

At the undergraduate level, 1,210 students came into the state under the RSP initiative, while 948 from Connecticut attended colleges outside the state under the program.  At the graduate level, the trend was reversed:  102 came in to Connecticut while 93 went outside the state through the tuition break program.

The data compiled on the RSP indicates that participating students and families saved an estimated $59 million on this academic year's tuition bills, with a full-time student saving an average of $8,157.  Overall, enrollment at four-year undergraduate institutions decreased by 2%, following a 6.8% increase the previous year. Graduate enrollment increased by 11%. Enrollment at community colleges decreased by nearly 9%.  Participating Massachusetts students saved an average of $9,285; Rhode Island students an average of $8,613 and Connecticut students an average of $7,747.

New England public colleges and universities received nearly $97 million in tuition revenue from RSP students enrolled at their campuses.  Undergraduate programs at four-year state colleges and universities accounted for 59% of RSP enrollment; associate programs, 35%; and graduate programs, 6%.

In Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island, the highest percentage of residents enrolled under the RSP in undergraduate programs were at the state colleges and universities: 78%, 66%, 60% and 56%, respectively. In Vermont and New Hampshire, the highest percentage of residents enrolled under the RSP were at the community colleges: 52% and 48%, respectively.

Among the programs enrolling Connecticut residents in 2017-18 are animation, aquaculture & fisher technology, criminal justice, food science, forestry, legal studies, marine engineering, marine science, marine transportation, mountain recreation management, performing arts, fashion merchandising, and zoology.

More than 850 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are offered under the RSP, many of them in specialized and high-demand fields. In 2017, the region's public colleges and universities approved 33 additional programs.  Officials note that program offerings expand each year.  Programs now include:

Associate degree programs (8): Audio Engineering, Culinary Arts: Baking and Pastry, Entrepreneurship, Fine Woodworking and Furniture Design, Global Studies, International Business, Professional Writing, Video/Film

Bachelor's degree programs (13): Accelerated Nursing, Aging Studies, Climate Change Science, Elementary Education: Community Engaged Learning, Environmental Studies and Sustainability, Fine Woodworking and Furniture Design, Fisheries Biology, Health Care Studies, Information Technology International Affairs (dual major), Movement Science: Wilderness Leadership Concentration, Wildlife Biology, World Languages Education (K-12)

Graduate programs (12): Master's: Athletic Training, Engineering Management, Exercise and Health Sciences, Genetics and Genomic Counseling, Music Pedagogy, Quantitative Economics, Transnational, Cultural and Community Studies, Urban Planning and Community Development

Doctoral: Computational Sciences, Counseling Psychology, Exercise and Health Sciences, Health Promotion Science

Now in its 61st year, the RSP was established by NEBHE in 1957-58 to fulfill the purposes of the congressionally authorized New England Higher Education Compact forged to expand educational opportunities for New England residents and share higher education resources. The RSP helps the individual New England states avoid the high costs of establishing and operating academic programs already offered in the six-state region.

Goodbye Columbus? Indigenous Peoples Day Gains Another CT School District

West Hartford’s Board of Education voted this month to mark Indigenous People’s Day, rather than Columbus Day, in the town’s schools beginning next year.  Bridgeport schools made the change in 2015, and the New London school district replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in 2016. There are no Connecticut municipalities that have voted to change the name of Columbus Day. In 2017, Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden introduced legislation at the state level to make the change, but the proposal died in a legislative committee and was not voted on by either the House or Senate.

Instead of honoring Christopher Columbus, the Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes Native Americans, who were the first inhabitants of the land that later became the United States of America. Advocates for the switch to Indigenous Peoples Day argue that Columbus did not “discover” America in 1492 but instead began the colonization of it.

The states of Minnesota, Alaska and South Dakota celebrate Indigenous People’s Day or Native Americans Day, instead of Columbus Day.

TIME magazine has reported that with the exception of Santa Cruz, Calif., and the state of South Dakota, which adopted the similar Native American Day in place of Columbus Day in 1990, the jurisdictions that have chosen to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day have done so relatively recently, with cities like Minneapolis and Seattle voting to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead in 2014, and Los Angeles doing so last year, with the observance to begin in 2019.  In 2016, the state of Vermont (by gubernatorial proclamation) and city of Phoenix, AZ celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day. When the city of Austin adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October 2017, the resolution stated that the city wanted to encourage schools to teach this history.

For decades, Native American activists have advocated abolishing Columbus Day, which became a federal holiday in 1937.  On the 300th anniversary of Columbus’ landing, the Society of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, organized the first celebration of Columbus Day on Oct. 12, 1792, according to the Library of Congress. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated Oct. 12 as the national holiday called Columbus Day. It became a federal holiday honored annually on the second Monday in October in 1971.

Tracey Wilson, a former social studies teacher at Conard who is also town historian, told we-ha.com that it’s important to “help our students distinguish between nostalgia and history.” Today’s world is different than it was when Columbus Day was first celebrated in 1892 and when the day became a national holiday in 1934, she said.