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What’s better than having your science experiment flown aboard one of the most sophisticated gliders in the world? Having that same aircraft break the world’s altitude record for glider flight with your experiment on board! On Sunday, September 3, 2017, Airbus Perlan Mission II, the world’s first initiative to send an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, made history in the Patagonia region of Argentina by soaring to over 52,000 feet and setting a new world altitude record for gliding. Students from the CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering and their advisor Rachael Manzer, science and engineering teacher at the Academy, joined students, scientists and international press for a Skype news conference arranged by Perlan Project CEO Ed Warnock to officially announce the record-breaking flight.CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering students and their advisors, Manzer and Josh Madore, have been working for two years designing, building and testing their own NASA Cubesat experiments to be taken aboard high altitude flights of the Perlan II, as well as a NASA test rocket. Their project explores the effect of vibration and weightlessness on a byproduct of soldering electrical components called “Tin Whiskers.” These tiny floating pieces of metal can be a major problem that can plague sophisticated electronics when launched into orbit. The student’s experiments were designed to collect data about when and how this hazard is created and ways it could be minimized in future missions. Little did the students realize that their project would be part of a milestone of aerospace history! “We are celebrating an amazing victory for aerospace innovation and scientific discovery today, and we’re so thankful to all the volunteers and sponsors whose years of tireless dedication have made this achievement possible,” said Warnock. “We will continue to strive for even higher altitudes, and to continue our scientific experiments to explore the mysteries of the stratosphere. We’ve made history, but the learning has just begun.” Part of the purpose for testing such high altitude gliders is that the conditions mimic those that aircraft would have to confront on the planet Mars. The thinner atmosphere and intensive winds of the red planet present numerous challenges to both the design and the piloting of such craft.For 10th grader Johnathan B., being part of such a project brings him one step closer to his dream, “I have wanted to be an astronaut since I was a little kid and this just inspires me even more.” Ninth grade student Ava K. was intrigued by the pivotal role the science of meteorology played in the project, “I really think I want to be a meteorologist and study the weather when I get older.”The significance of such “Real World” projects for student were summed up best by Manzer, “Fantastic opportunities such as these inspire students to picture themselves in STEM careers regardless of their background, race or gender. Working on these projects with actual scientists, captivates their imagination and allows them to envision themselves as the scientists, engineers, explorers and creators, of the future society in which they will live whether it be on earth or out among the planets.”The Skype press conference featured: Perlan CEO Ed Warnick with the Perlan II team in Argentina, Elizabeth Austin, Perlan chief meteorologist in Nevada, Caroline Gelb at the World Science Festival, as well as international press and students from schools in North Carolina, Puerto Rico and from the CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering in Windsor CT. You can find out more about the project by going to links for the Airbus Perlan Mission II: http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2017/09/perlan-sets-new-world-record.html the Cubesat Project http://www.cubesat.org/ or CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering: http://aaen.crecschools.org/1983740-98552000###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 19 interdistrict magnet schools.  More information about CREC or CREC’s award-winning Magnet Schools is available at www.crec.org....

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More than 2,000 CREC employees representing 120 programs and services within the organization – from magnet schools to adult education and construction services to professional development – gathered at the Hartford Yard Goats Dunkin’ Donuts Park early Friday morning for FallStaff 51, an annual pep rally meant to energize everyone in attendance for the upcoming year. FallStaff, a tradition that started when CREC was founded 51 years ago, is the one time during the year when all CREC employees come together in one place. This year, the newly adopted core values – expect excellence, demand equity, act with courage and embrace collaboration – took center stage at the event with speakers and videos emphasizing their value to the organization. CREC Executive Director Greg J. Florio said, “It is important to understand why we are all driven to live and work by those values and how important they are to assuring CREC fulfills its mission.”As the keynote speaker, CREC Deputy Executive Director Sandra Cruz-Serrano offered a single piece of advice.“Never underestimate the child, the parent, the person in front of you. Her looks, limited English, her zip code, her SAT scores are absolutely no indicator of her future success,” she said. “Be careful, for she may even be your boss one day!”CREC Superintendent of Schools Tim Sullivan said, “Moving forward Hartford Public Schools and CREC are going to work together on behalf of all children. It should not natter what color uniform you wear, we are here to help all children. The days of competition are over, we are ready to collaborate.” The new minor league baseball stadium in downtown Hartford was a perfect setting for a fun-filled, baseball-themed program. Staff snapped selfies with Yard Goats mascots Chompers and Chew Chew. CREC River Street School employee Carlos Perez, the longest tenured employee at CREC, kicked off the event with a ceremonial first pitch. There was a build-a-burger race and a T-shirt toss. Videos of employees describing how they apply the core values to their work played on the stadium screens, as well as videos of students and staff explaining why CREC 2017 award winners deserve recognition. The 2017 CREC Paraeducator of the Year, Victoria Gonzales from CREC International Magnet School for Global Citizenship, and the 2017 CREC Teacher of the Year, Krista Beyer from CREC University of Hartford Magnet School, were announced over the stadium speakers and they walked to home plate to accept their awards. Alan Daley of CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Middle School received the 2017 CREC Distinguished Service Award. Long-serving staff members were also recognized. FallStaff also celebrated the upcoming 50th anniversary of CREC River Street School and the school’s director, Tom Parvenski, was presented with a special recognition.A heartfelt thank you goes to students from the former CREC Two Rivers High School, Alexander Ello (Two Rivers class of 2017), and Austin Raymond-Tricka (CREC Academy of Science and Innovation class of 2018) and to Bob Polselli, engineering and technology teacher, for providing drone footage of CREC facilities used in the event’s introductory video. FallStaff is coordinated and directed internally. It is largely funded by the generosity of sponsors, including top sponsor Owens Realty Services. Other sponsors are: Sullivan Investment Group, Transamerica Retirement Solutions, Aflac, American Eagle Financial Credit Union, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Dattco, Delta-T Group, eesmarts, Friar Associates, Massage Envy, and Valley Communications.8382062357000083820191135002767330419417500###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 19 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC or CREC’s award-winning magnet schools is available at www.crec.orgAthletics captains from CREC high schools came together with CRILA students to discuss the role and traits of leaders. ...

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When Ariana Patterson, a 17-year-old at CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, looks at plants, she sees more than just greenery and foliage – she sees small ecosystems with the plants and insects exchanging benefits. As a teaching assistant at Biodiversity Camp at CREC Two Rivers Middle School this year, Ariana shared this perspective with the middle and high school students at the weeklong summer camp.“You have to think of it as a more important piece of the puzzle. You start to look at it as even if it’s small or a little creepy it has some significance that can’t just be brushed off. It makes you want to learn more about it and want to protect it,” said Ariana, who first attended the camp a few years ago as a middle school student at CREC Two Rivers Middle School.Biodiversity Camp, organized by CREC Two Rivers Middle School Science Teacher Edmund Smith and Dr. David Wagner, professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Connecticut, is a free camp where participants get the opportunity to investigate the biodiversity of local ecosystems and learn how to identify common insects and plants.The camp is geared towards extreme enrichment with students that have already proven themselves energetic, focused and comfortable with extended field studies, said Smith.“This camp is not meant to give students their first experiences in field studies. Several students have chosen college and career paths in the biological sciences following their experiences with the Biodiversity Camp,” he said.Biodiversity Camp took place from June 26th - 30th this year. The camp had 20 high school and middle school students. About half were CREC students, 40 percent came from Hartford Public Schools and the rest were from other districts.Jacob Kuczek, 13, a student at CREC Two Rivers Middle, said he and other camp participants explored the Fenton River near UConn, the Connecticut River and Matianuck Natural Area Preserve.“We explored a bit, everyone in the camp got nets to catch insects. We brushed the nets through the grass and looked to see if we caught anything,” he said.Insects that were caught – milkweed beetles, black fireflies, spiders, moths, among others – were either frozen to be examined under a microscope or kept alive.“The purpose of keeping them alive is to study their behavior, what they eat,” said Jacob.Students attended the camp during the day. On the last night, campers competed in a BioBlitz – a contest to see who could catch and identify the most insects - until midnight and slept at CREC Two Rivers Magnet Middle School. This is the camp’s third summer, with the first and second camps running in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, camp organizers focused on a statewide CT BioBlitz where CREC Two Rivers Middle School set a world record of most organisms identified in a 24-hour period.###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings nearly five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 16 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Hartford, CT) During her freshman year at CREC Metropolitan Learning Center for Global and International Studies, Raena Davis joined a student abolitionist group devoted to bringing awareness to the community about modern-day slavery and human trafficking. It was the beginning of Raena’s commitment to global affairs.“Many of my previous teachers hadn’t talked about human trafficking. Slavery was taught as an antiquated practice that had been abolished,” said Davis, 18, of Hartford. “But human trafficking is prevalent today, not only abroad but in the United States and the state of Connecticut.”By the time she graduated from CREC MLC in June, Raena was leading Student Abolitionists Stopping Slavery (SASS) and was teaching middle school art classes about human trafficking. During school, Raena had the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic to work on a community service project in the municipality of Jarabacoa.Because of her work towards improving the lives of others, Raena is among 12 graduating high school seniors who are being recognized by the World Affairs Council (WAC) with the Global Student Leadership Award. The award is given to students who have demonstrated a high interest in and have gone above and beyond to get involved in global affairs.Raena will attend Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT this fall and plans to study Biology with a minor in Spanish. She hopes to continue to engage with global affairs by taking part in study abroad programs, and plans to pursue a career in biological research, personal entrepreneurial enterprises, or journalism. “In my opinion, it’s very important to have a broad cultural awareness when exploring foreign environments. I am also interested in becoming more involved in politics and seeing what changes I can make at the student level as someone who is service-minded,” she said.Raena advises high school students to take advantage of opportunities that allow them to see the world and find where they can make the most positive impact. She is excited to see and interpret the world for herself in the future.###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings nearly five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 16 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Colebrook, CT) Ten-year-old Hartford resident Ezequiel Lopez was annoyed four summers ago when his mom first signed him up for overnight camp at Camp Jewell YMCA in Colebrook.“The first year I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay home and play video games. When I got here, it was pretty cool. They had a farm and a waterfront. I could go swimming,” said Ezequiel, who goes to school in Windsor Locks through the Hartford Region Open Choice program.Ezequiel quickly grew excited about being at camp and was so eager to return the following year that he packed his bag a month in advance. This is his fourth summer at Camp Jewell YMCA and he plans on returning “till I’m a camp counselor.”Ezequiel is among dozens of students in a CREC-managed program or CREC magnet school who are attending the camp free of charge through scholarships offered by Camp Jewell YMCA. CREC received spots this summer for 100 kids, some of which CREC shared with Hartford Public Schools and community organizations.The scholarship program is part of an effort to serve kids from Greater Hartford and to bring diversity to the camp. The initiative started in 2012 after program leaders realized that hardly any of their campers came from Hartford or New Britain.“We are the YMCA of Greater Hartford and we should be serving kids from Greater Hartford,” said Ray Zetye, Executive Director of Camp Jewell YMCA.Ray sees the program benefitting all campers, not just those attending on scholarship. Diversity, he said, exposes kids to different life experiences and prepares them for the years ahead when they interact with people from varying backgrounds.“We’re creating more empathetic adults through this program,” said Ray. “My dream is to have a cabin with a couple of kids from Hartford, three or four kids from the suburbs, a kid from Spain. I want to have religious diversity, all different dimensions of diversity.” Camp Jewell YMCA is set on 540 acres of majestic woodlands right next to a lake. Although kids follow a rigid daily schedule, they choose which activities to participate in. Their options include, horseback riding, theater, pottery, archery, swimming, boating, outdoor cooking, among other traditional camp activities.Ezequiel enthusiastically described playing Zombie Apocalypse, similar to a game of tag where players become zombies when they are touched by other zombies.This is also the fourth summer at camp for Jada Mann, a 12-year-old from CREC Two Rivers Middle School. Jada enjoys candle-making, swimming. She’s taken basketball clinics, and practiced outdoor cooking. Her favorite thing about camp is making friends.Seven-year-old Uriel Vaughn is experiencing his first year here. He is, “Excited because it’s very cool.”“For a lot our kids, it’s their first time being outside of an urban environment or being away from their families. They get to explore a new environment, make friends and learn to be self-sufficient,” said Eric Crawford, director of the CREC Trude Mero Family Resource Center, during a site visit at the camp last week. Crawford and his staff manage the camp scholarships given to CREC. They recruit students to attend and make routine site visits to check up on the kids.The initiative started with approximately 10 students. It’s grown to about 450, with scholarships offered to students through organizations like CREC, Hartford Public Library, International Institute of Connecticut, Legacy Foundation, and Catholic Charities.Approximately 1,300 kids between the ages of 7 and 16 from Greater Hartford to Fairfield County, as well as China, Spain and the Dominican Republic, participate in the residential camp program each year. The program runs four two-week sessions between June and August.###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings nearly five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 16 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(New Britain, CT) One of the best experiences that Lorette Feivelson had during her time at CREC Academy of Science and Innovation was helping to modify an electric toy car for an 18-month old girl with limited mobility. The girl, Parker, was very hesitant getting into the car, but that soon changed.“You should have seen the look on this girl’s face. She had the biggest smile. Once she figured it out she did not want to get out of the car,” said Feivelson, who graduated from CREC ASI this week. “This was one of the best experiences of my high school career. It was fun and empowering for me, but also rewarding and a chance to give back.”For the second year in a row, students from CREC ASI and Central Connecticut State University teamed up for the Go Baby Go! program. In April, they adapted six motorized toy cars to fit the needs of kids with disabilities. The cars were donated to children who were identified by physical and occupational therapists. Go Baby Go! is designed to give children with limited mobility the ability to move around independently. Founded by the University of Delaware, the program was brought to CCSU approximately three years ago by Michele Dischino, associate professor of technology and engineering education at CCSU.CREC ASI hosted Go Baby Go! for the first time last year, said Gina Gadue, theme coach and instructional specialist at the magnet high school. CREC ASI students, with guidance and instruction from CCSU students, helped build eight cars. The program great that the school wanted to host again this year.“The kids love participating in this event. It is so rewarding for them to work on a car for a child that they then get to meet. They are able to see firsthand the child's limitations and know that because they were able to work with others to adapt the car the child gets to enjoy it safely. The best part is to see the smile on the children’s and the parents’ faces,” said Gadue.“The relationship has been so beneficial all around,” said Dischino. “It’s a great opportunity to work with students, especially in doing something that is benefitting another human being.”The cars are modified depending on the child’s needs. Extra supports and padding may be added, safety harnesses are installed and the framework is sometimes adapted. The most common change is to the accelerator.“Normally, you operate the car by pressing the accelerator with your foot, but most children can’t use their feet or have limited mobility,” said Dischino. “We rewire the accelerator function so all the child needs to do is press a big button.”If someone asked Feivelson, who became involved in the program through Ms. Gadue, to participate in Go Baby Go! again, “I would say yes in a heartbeat!”For more information about Go Baby Go!, visit http://www.udel.edu/gobabygo/ or contact Michele Dischino at dischinomic@ccsu.edu.###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings nearly five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 17 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Bloomfield, CT) The CREC Metropolitan Learning Center Leo Club recently sponsored a highly successful fundraising campaign to purchase a harness for a Fidelco guide dog. “It is this level of thoughtfulness and kindness that creates the opportunities to help communities. MLC Leos have engaged in projects at local and international levels through this awareness and commitment,” said Constanza Paramo, liaison for the MLC Leo Club and the Bloomfield Lions Club.Club members sold wristbands inscribed in Braille with “MLC Leo” that allowed students to dress casually for the day rather than wear the required school uniform. Proceeds from the “dress down” fundraiser will cover the cost of a guide dog harness with a plaque saying, “Donated by MLC Leos 2017.”Fidelco guide dogs undergo 24 months of intensive training before they are given to a vision-impaired person to assist them with their independence and freedom. The harness will be given to a dog once it completes its training.The MLC Leo Club, which was founded in 2011, is proudly sponsored by the Bloomfield Lions Club for the purpose of developing young student citizens willing to serve communities at local and global levels. Leo Club members are characterized for having a personal drive and keen willingness to support school and community causes that make a positive difference in people’s lives. Prior to the Fidelco campaign, the MLC Leos made a significant contribution to the rebuilding of the “Jose Acevedo Elementary School” in the Philippines which had been devastated by the Haiyan Typhoon. ###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings nearly five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 17 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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