Zato Kadambaya ’01, ’04 came to the U.S. from Africa, studying with the intention of going into electrical engineering. Returning to Africa, he was inspired to help people receive a better education and decided to become a teacher. The Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) through UConn’s Neag School of Education helped him fulfill his dream.

Here are news and notes from our alumni, faculty, staff, and students. We are proud of all the amazing accomplishments by our Neag family. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items (and story ideas) to neag-communications@uconn.edu

Former Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis ’05 (ED), ’06 MA, founder of nonprofit Classes 4 Classes and survivor of the tragic 2012 shooting in Newtown, Conn., shares with Spotlight an excerpt of her new book, Choosing Hope: Moving Forward from Life’s Darkest Hours (G.P. Putnam’s Sons), releasing Oct. 6.

Elementary education major and Degnan Family Scholarship award recipient Symone James ’16 (ED) has one goal in mind: to be able to relate to every student.

The Neag School of Education is seeking nominations for the Annual Neag Alumni Society Awards. You are invited to nominate individuals for any of the six prestigious awards.

Change Lives. Become a Teacher. Fall Open House Sessions for UConn’s One-Year Teacher Certification Program

Below are news and notes from our alumni, faculty, staff, and students. We are proud of all the amazing accomplishments by our Neag family. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items (and story ideas) to neag-communications@uconn.edu

The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) discontinued their gifted education programs in 2005 – and had no plans to serve the city’s most talented learners. But when high-performing students started leaving DCPS for private schools in the suburbs or area charter schools in search of gifted programs, DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson began searching for a gifted education program. In 2012, DCPS turned to Professor Joseph Renzulli, Neag School of Education researcher and internationally known expert in gifted education, for help.

Children who take part in early childhood education programs, research shows, are apt to reap the benefits for years to come. Not only are these children more likely to be more successful throughout their years in school, but also “to have jobs and to be contributing members of society” later in life, says Karen List […]

Neag alumna Kate Maupin ’08 recently won the 2015 International Book Award (IBA) for her first book, Cheating, Dishonesty & Manipulation: Why Bright Kids Do It (Great Potential Press, 2015). Beating out 1,200 entries from around the world, she captured the top prize in the education/academic category, revealing how “more than 80 percent of bright students self-reported that they had not only cheated in an academic setting, but also had never been caught.”