Thanks to 494 individuals, the Neag School of Education garnered more than $25,000 in contributions during this spring’s annual Giving Day at UConn. The University-wide fundraising event raised over $504,000 in total for UConn in just 36 hours, with incoming donations set up to support everything from scholarships and academic programs to student groups and athletics. The Neag School, including its Alumni Board, promoted seven different education- and sport management-affiliated projects during this year’s Giving Day campaign, held over the course of two days in March.

On the way home from a hip-hop education conference last year, Justis Lopez ’14 (ED), ’15 (MA) and his colleague Ryan Parker were unpacking what they had learned and what they were feeling that day. They started to freestyle rap and found themselves filled with joy, repeating the verse ‘I’m feeling so happy.’ Their freestyling turned into a song called “HAPPYVISM” that is now part of a greater initiative they have named Project Happyvism.