University of Connecticut
EN-10: Community Partnerships

4-H is a nationwide program “delivered by Cooperative Extension” of public universities. Through the nationwide program, members complete hands on projects pertaining to health, science, agriculture, and citizenship. Program areas include environmental science and alternative energy, as well as plant and animal science. UConn’s Extension 4-H program is a subset of that national program has three main themes: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Citizenship, and Healthy Living. The partnership simultaneously supports all three dimensions of sustainability. From the Cooperative Extension website, "We provide practical learning resources to address complex problems of families, communities, agriculture, business and industry. CES is part of a nationwide educational network through the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Teams of professionals and trained volunteers teach the state’s diverse population to make informed choices and decisions affecting their lives and environment." The University's extensive and diverse cooperative extension services provide guidance, programs, and events for tens of thousands of local residents, businesses, community planners, leaders, and youth. The Connecticut 4-H youth program prepares youth to meet the needs of a global economy, while learning new skills, meeting new friends and discovering new things about themselves and the world through UConn Extension’s research-driven programs. More information can be found here: http://www.4-h.uconn.edu/index.php

The UConn Early College Experience (ECE) was initiated in 1955 for academically motivated high school students. The mission of the Early College Experience is to provide “access to and preparation for post-secondary education programs through its ability to offer University of Connecticut courses to high school students”. Over 10,000 students and about 1,200 certified instructors from 194 Connecticut high schools, including Stamford High School, Ellington Public Schools, Staples High School, and West Hartford Public Schools, take part in this program annually. This group of students represent a mix of urban, suburban and rural school district, thus reaching a diverse community of underrepresented groups from various racial, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. Every UConn ECE course is equivalent to the same course at the University of Connecticut. Courses are taught on the participating high school campus by high school teachers who have been certified as adjunct faculty members by the University of Connecticut. Courses offered through ECE are approximately one-tenth of the cost in comparison to taking the same course on a UConn campus. ECE courses in biology, animal science, chemistry, environmental science, marine science, maritime studies, and sustainable plant and soil sciences are offered. Additionally, UConn credits earned through the ECE program are accepted at 983 colleges and universities across the country, including Harvard University, University of Massachusetts, and Yale University and transfer at a 87% success rate. Program website: http://ece.uconn.edu/

The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is a multidisciplinary, center of excellence that brings together experts in various fields in conjunction with the practical regulatory experience of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP). This partnership’s mission is to help coastal and inland floodplain communities in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast better adapt to changes in climate change and improve infrastructure resiliency while protecting valuable ecosystems and services. Since the institutions establishment in 2014, UConn has provided staff support through faculty leadership and faculty research from experts in the natural sciences, engineering, economics, political science, finance, and law. All information can be found here: http://circa.uconn.edu/about/

http://www.extension.uconn.edu http://ece.uconn.edu/ http://circa.uconn.edu/about/