For Immediate Release
May 09, 2009
Contact:
Michael Mino, Director
The Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION
Phone: 860-567-0863, ext. 155; Fax: 860-567-3381; mino@educationconnection.org
Celebrate CT Student Work Today for a Sustainable World Tomorrow
HARTFORD, CT – Over 1,600 CT middle and high school students will present team “green” projects in information technology, biotechnology, e-commerce, engineering, science research, health careers, and digital media to be judged by a panel of business professionals, field experts, and higher education faculty at the 2009 CONNECTICUT STUDENT INNOVATION EXPOSITION (CT EXPO) at the CT Convention Center. The event is free to the public.
Join us for the opening ceremony at 9 AM with a welcome from Lt. Gov. Fedele. Hear keynote speaker Lewis Pugh recount his polar adventures as he educates the public about climate change.
Visit students at their exhibition booths from 10 AM until 3 PM. They will enthusiastically share their challenges, solutions, Web sites, original computer games, research, marketing materials, and so on! From 11:30 to 1:00, stop at the first annual CT Student Film Festival to view original films created by high school students. This year, all student teams created projects related to sustainable energy and/or environmental responsibility.
According to Friedman, “the task of creating the tools, systems, energy sources, and ethics that will allow the planet to grow in cleaner, more sustainable ways is going to be the biggest challenge of our lifetime.” (Friedman, Thomas. Hot, Flat, and Crowded. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2008.)
Michael Mino, Director of The Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION, agrees. He and his staff develop and manage technology-rich, project-based courses and programs for middle and high school students in conjunction with Connecticut Career Choices (CCC). Says Mino, “We’re preparing a workforce for the 21st century by giving students real-life challenges and the skills to address those challenges. That includes developing solutions that promote a sustainable future for our planet.”
CCC student participants will be joined on May 9 by the Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program, Connecticut Project Lead the Way, and the Connecticut Community Colleges’ College of Technology Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. In addition, the Connecticut Technology Student Association will compete on Friday, May 8, from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Middle and high school students from these districts will display their innovative projects: Berlin, Bethel, Bloomfield, Bridgeport, Bristol, Brookfield, Danbury, Derby, East Haddam, East Hartford, East Haven, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Hartford, Litchfield, Manchester, Meriden, New Britain, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Haven, New London, New Milford, Newtown, Norwalk, Oxford, Plainville, Regions 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, Simsbury, Southington, Stamford, Terryville, Thomaston, Waterbury, West Hartford, Windham, Woodstock, and Xavier High School.
Faculty members from these higher-education institutions will also participate: University of Bridgeport, Central CT State University, Gateway Community College, Manchester Community College, Quinnipiac University, Southern CT State University, Tunxis Community College, University of CT, University of Hartford, University of New Haven, and Yale University.
The CT EXPO is the culminating event for Connecticut students engaged in a variety of innovative, cutting-edge education programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Come celebrate the innovative “green” spirit of our Connecticut students!
For more information, go to www.ctexpo.org. Or contact: Michael Mino, Director, The Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION phone: 860-567-0863, ext. 155 e-mail: mino@educationconnection.org
About The Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION
The Center for 21st Century Skills promotes the advancement of 21st century skills, technical education, and careers by creating and implementing “blended learning” environments that combine traditional face-to-face classroom learning with online instruction. It is an organizational unit of EDUCATION CONNECTION, a CT Regional Educational Service Center.
www.skills21.org
ctcconline.org
www.educationconnection.org
About Connecticut Career Choices (CCC)
CCC is an initiative funded by the CT Office for Workforce Competitiveness to engage CT middle and high school students in a variety of challenging STEM-related courses. With the help of the Battelle Technology Practice Partnership, CCC combines innovative, Internet-based curriculum with experiential learning opportunities, such as hosting classroom speakers, company tours, job shadows, and teacher externships.