West Haven, Conn., May 15, 2007 - University of New Haven (UNH) President Steven H. Kaplan has a plan to help meet Connecticut's demand for highly motivated and qualified engineers and his vision includes getting students geared up as early as the sixth grade. On Friday, May 18, at 11 a.m., in the Alumni Lounge, Bartels Hall, Kaplan and collaborators from New Haven and West Haven will announce the inception of the state's first public magnet school to focus on the critical areas of science and engineering for grades 6 through 12.
Joining Kaplan at the announcement will be Connecticut's Speaker of the House, State Representative James Amann, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, Jr., West Haven Mayor John M. Picard, New Haven Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Mayo, and West Haven Superintendent of Schools Dr. JoAnn Andrees. The group will outline plans for curriculum and construction of a new school building to house the University of New Haven Science and Engineering Magnet School, to be located in West Haven near the UNH campus.
"The University of New Haven Science and Engineering Magnet School will be a ‘first' for Connecticut," says Kaplan. "Beginning in the sixth grade, we will prepare students for a rigorous, technology-based high school program and they will be thoroughly primed for success by the ninth grade." He notes also that the problem-solving skills acquired in an engineering program equip students with skills that can be applied in any sphere of activity and give graduates the flexibility to accommodate new technology.
Representatives from the business community, area state legislators, New Haven alders and West Haven City Council members have been invited to attend the announcement.
The school will begin operations in the fall of 2008 in a temporary location, which is currently under consideration. It will grow by one grade each year, beginning with grade six, with a phase in of an additional grade each year over seven years. In 2014-2015, it will have a total enrollment of 616 students, grades 6 through12, with 88 students per grade and each grade consisting of four classes. The school will serve 400 students from New Haven, 125 students from West Haven, and 91 students from participating districts in the greater New Haven area; all of the towns will participate on an advisory committee throughout the planning process.
The University of New Haven Science and Engineering Magnet School will be designed and built through the $1.5 billion New haven Citywide School Construction Program, which has completed a total of 24 schools to date. The program is the largest per capita in the nation. "This is an exciting opportunity that will truly benefit our children and families in the short term and our collective regional community in the long term," says DeStefano. "I am very pleased to enter into this partnership with the University of New Haven and look forward to increased interest among our students in science-related fields and activities."
The primary focus of the University of New Haven Science and Engineering Magnet School is to effectively prepare graduates for pursuing further education and careers in a range of scientific, engineering, and technological fields. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Mayo said the New Haven Public Schools has a track record of excellence in establishing magnet schools that draw a healthy mix of both urban and suburban students around a central theme. "The school will provide students in grades 6 through 8 with a math/science curriculum designed to prepare them for a demanding high school program, and it will offer an ‘early college' program to high school students, awarding simultaneous high school and college credit."
"This is an excellent opportunity for the children in this area to attend a magnet school specializing in the science and engineering fields," says John M. Picard, mayor of West Haven, "We are very excited that the children of West Haven, New Haven and surrounding areas will receive a world-class education in a college environment, and I believe it will pique students' desire and interest in furthering their education beyond the high school level."
The enhanced math, science and technology program will be developed using the guidelines from the nationally recognized and research-based program "Project Lead The Way." "I am committed to this project because it and Project Lead The Way are ideal ways to serve the underserved," says West Haven Superintendent of Schools Dr. JoAnn Andrees. "Sometimes youth don't want to be labeled or thought of as ‘smart,' but once we get them in a focused science and engineering setting and they're all working on similar projects, they'll know that they can compete in a global environment."
A leader in experiential learning, the University of New Haven provides its students with a unique combination of solid liberal arts and real-world, hands-on professional training. A private University founded in 1920, UNH has a full-time undergraduate enrollment of more than 2,400 students-with 70 percent residing on its 80-acre main campus-and a graduate school enrollment that exceeds 1,700. The University offers more than 80 undergraduate degrees and more than 25 graduate degrees through its four colleges, in fields such as sports management, forensic science, music and sound recording, engineering, computer science, fire science and criminal justice. University of New Haven students study abroad through a variety of distinctive programs.
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