Category: Community Engagement


Read stories related to faculty, students, and alumni involved in public engagement initiatives.

Color coded map of COVID numbers in Connecticut.

Teaching Map Literacy Is Important for Having an Informed Public

December 17, 2021

People tend to look at maps as information that should be taken as fact without the need for analysis, but that’s a mistake. When the average person consumes information through sources like television, radio, a website, or a newspaper, they might do it with a critical eye. What is the viewpoint of the news outlet? Has it been trustworthy in the past? Is there another source for this information to get a second opinion? A map is different. People tend to look at maps as absolute information that should be taken as fact without analysis. But that’s a mistake, according to a pair of UConn professors from the Neag School of Education in a recent article published in Social Studies Research and Practice.


Teaching Map Literacy Is Important Part of Having an Informed Public

December 17, 2021

When the average person consumes information through sources like television, radio, a website, or a newspaper, they might do it with a critical eye. What is the viewpoint of the news outlet? Has it been trustworthy in the past? Is there another source for this information to get a second opinion? A map is different. People tend to look at maps as absolute information that should be taken as fact without analysis. But that’s a mistake, according to a pair of UConn professors from the Neag School of Education in a recent article published in Social Studies Research and Practice.


Using Phenomena to Help Students Explain the World

December 15, 2021

What are phenomena and how can science teachers use these events to engage students in science? Professor of Science Education Todd Campbell joins us to help start a series about using phenemona in science education. Listen to hear about new strategies in how pre-service science educators are being prepared, where to start if you are beginning a journey to adopt NGSS, and how we can all use phenomena to help students explain the world around them.


UConn Forum Discusses Education and Human Rights

December 13, 2021

Friday was International Human Rights Day and the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education and Dodd Human Rights Impact Program both recognized the occasion. The virtual event Friday was highlighted by the appearance of U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Car-dona, who provided opening remarks. The roundtable featured former U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, Conard High School teacher Abigail Esposito, UConn graduate student Tyler Gleen and Capitol Region Education Council Civic Leadership High School student Zoe Maldonado.


Dodd Impact Programs, Neag School to Host U.S. Education Secretary for Discussion about Importance of Civics and Human Rights Education

December 10, 2021

As part of the observation of International Human Rights Day, the Neag School and Dodd Impact programs are jointly hosting a series of virtual workshops that introduce the intersecting fields of human rights education and civics education to undergraduate and fifth-year students in the Neag School’s pre-service teacher education program and in its Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates, or TCPCG.


Education Forum at UConn Features Education Secretary Miguel Cardona

December 10, 2021

The University of Connecticut is bringing in a national name with state ties Friday as part of a virtual forum supporting civics and human rights education in public schools. The program is highlighted by an afternoon roundtable talk on the role of civics and human rights education, with opening remarks by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. Friday’s event will feature the engagement arm of UConn’s Human Rights Institute, Dodd Human Rights Impact and the Neag School of Education. This event will be in recognition of International Human Rights Day.



Competences Close Gaps in Ed Leadership Prep

December 9, 2021

In our last episode, we dove into identifying the gaps between “learning” and “doing”, highlighting the work of University Principal Preparation Initiative. We learned that through thoughtful planning using frameworks developed by Wallace to address the growing need for more collaboration between districts and universities. In this episode, we’re going to dive into a case study of how one UPPI program at University of Connecticut and what they’ve learned from their program redesign. We spoke at length with Richard Gonzales, who oversees the principalship and superintendency program at UConn and serves as the director of UConn’s UPPI initiative project, specifically about the redesign of their core assessments.


MLK Mural Unveiled Outside Mansfield Community Center

November 29, 2021

The city of Mansfield held a ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 13, to unveil the new MLK mural in front of the community center. The unveiling was accompanied by a host of other festivities, including music by Joaquan Kinsey from UConn’s Voices of Freedom Gospel Choir and UConn’s Jazz Quartet. About 130 people attended according to Margaret Chatey, who is the Mansfield communications specialist and runs the Town of Mansfield Facebook page. She also said that there were multiple speakers including the master of ceremonies professor Glenn Mitoma, Mayor Toni Moran, Matt Conway, Mural Artist Emida Roller, professor Carlita Cotton and superintendent Kelly Lyman.