With more than one in 10 Connecticut residents experiencing food insecurity, those who may be in need should know there are a number of resources available to the public intended to help. These include the Connecticut Foodshare schedule of mobile pantries, which drive around the state delivering food supplies to this in need; the food pantry locator at https://www.211ct.org/; and https://ctfoodshare.org/get-help/communityresources/
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Crash-related fatalities are ranked as one of the top causes of death in the U.S. Many of these crashes are caused by highly visible driver-related factors, including speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving. The CT State Police is joining forces with other law enforcement agencies along the I-95 corridor in the “Drive to Save Lives” campaign. This campaign is a multi-jurisdictional, high-visibility traffic enforcement initiative to increase traffic enforcement presence along the I-95 corridor from Maine to Florida – including across Connecticut – from Saturday, April 1, 2023, to Monday, April 3, 2023. Motorists can expect to see Troopers working diligently to keep them safe as they travel throughout the state on I-95.
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In 2011 The Nielson company, you know the company that gives the ratings of TV stations was thinking of changing Fairfield County to be part of the broadcast market. Bridgeport, Fairfield, Stratford, etc. have all been considered the New York news and TV market since people were putting aerials up on their roofs to watch TV. It hasn’t changed since the 1950s.
“Must carry stations” for cable operators are determined by this. “Cable must-carry” stations are TV channels that cable providers are legally required to carry within a specific geographic area. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established these rules to ensure that local broadcast stations can reach their audiences through cable TV, which has become a primary means of delivering television content to households.
Under the must-carry rules, cable providers must carry all local broadcast stations that request carriage, either as a must-carry station or as a station that elects to be carried under retransmission consent rules. These rules aim to prevent cable companies from discriminating against certain stations or charging them higher fees than other stations. It’s important to note that these rules apply to all cable providers, whether they are large national companies or small local operators. That is stations that are required to be Fox 61 haven’t been on Optimum for over five years.
YoutubeTV and the other streaming services will only offer you the New York Market in Fairfield County even though our traffic and weather are much different. You can watch local Connecticut news on the station’s website. There have been a number of online attempts to watch your local channels like Newsy, Vuit, Local Now, and Hatstack News but I’m yet to find it work like a normal broadcast. Even News12 is available, but the New York market.
DoingItLocal will continue to provide you with the latest in news at no charge thanks to our sponsors. So if you are in the market, for a product, please give our sponsor the chance to serve your needs. I even have a FREE app thanks to BMW of Bridgeport’s sponsorship to pay for all the fees associated with the app. Remember, Facebook doesn’t show you everything we post!
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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) released its five-year Capital Plan for fiscal years 2023-2027, outlining the implementation of funding, policies, and programs from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). CTDOT developed the Capital Plan with feedback from stakeholders, including the state’s Councils of Government (COGs).
The historic federal investment and ongoing robust state-funded programs will move Connecticut forward in reducing transportation emissions and accelerating investments in a safer, more equitable, and sustainable transportation system that is easier to use for all residents.
CTDOT will be presenting the Capital Plan at a public hearing with the Joint Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, Transportation Bonding Subcommittee, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Visit cga.ct.gov for meeting room and livestreaming information.
“Connecticut’s residents and visitors will see a lot more orange cones across the state in the coming years,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “Over the last decade, CTDOT’s capital investments in our infrastructure have increased and will continue to grow. Most of these projects are being done with an eye towards making it safer and easier to get to where you are going. We will continue to prioritize roadways, bridges, and rail stations based on where repairs are most needed. Our broader goals continue to be reconnecting communities, and creating a more accessible, sustainable, and safe transportation infrastructure for all users in our state.”
CTDOT anticipates utilizing approximately $2.2 billion in total capital funding for all transportation modes in FY23. The 2023 Capital Program includes approximately:
Despite challenges with inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions, CTDOT continues to expedite active projects and initiate new projects to obligate the increased available funding.
Approximately $1.37 billion worth of projects are being accelerated, including:
IIJA makes more than $100 billion in competitive federal grants available for Connecticut to pursue. CTDOT applied for and received approximately $229.2 million in discretionary funding in 2022. Many grants are available for COGs and municipalities to apply for—in 2022, six municipalities received a total of $2.4 million through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.
Wrong-way driving occurrences on Connecticut’s highways have increased by 500%, often with tragic consequences. CTDOT received $20 million in state bond funding to address this dangerous trend by installing wrong-way detection systems. Ten detection systems are active, with seven additional locations coming online in the coming months. CTDOT is going to install 16 additional systems in 2023 and has launched a new, impactful public awareness campaign on the dangers of wrong-way driving.
CTDOT’s Community Connectivity Grant Program recently announced the next grant solicitation for municipalities and anticipates awarding $12 million in 2023 to improve safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians across the state. CTDOT is also updating its Complete Streets Policy in 2023 to include more standard requirements for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit safety provisions for the project design process.
CTDOT is working with the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center at the University of Connecticut to develop a safety management software system, allowing screening and diagnosis of roadway and safety improvements. This software will be used in Connecticut’s completion of a vulnerable road user safety assessment in 2023 required through IIJA.
Connecticut will receive additional formula funding to meet transportation sustainability goals for FY 2023 for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI), Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT), and Carbon Reduction programs. CTDOT will continue a phased approach in FY 2023 while planning for the longer term (FY24-26) as additional guidance from federal partners is released.
CTDOT will continue its focus on several Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) studies—a process approach that considers environmental, community, and economic goals in the very early planning phase of a transportation program or project. The public is encouraged to follow the studies’ progress and participate in ongoing public engagement activities.
CTDOT PEL studies currently underway include:
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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is launching a payment pilot program for all CTtransit and CTfastrak customers on April 1. The pilot program, launched in partnership with Token Transit, will allow customers to buy two-hour Adult, Senior/Disabled, and Youth bus passes for all local CTtransit and CTfastrak buses on their smartphones.
To use Token Transit, customers can download the Token Transit mobile app or use Transit App, Moovit, Agile Mile, or Google Maps, which are all integrated with Token Transit.
Here’s how it works:
“We’ve heard from the public that they want easier and more accessible payment methods. The partnership with Token Transit allows customers to pay via apps they already use on their devices. Riders will no longer have to worry about finding exact change to ride the bus or losing a paper ticket,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “This pilot program will give our customers more freedom in paying for their bus fares. Along with the statewide bus service expansion included in Governor Lamont’s proposed budget, this will help us to modernize Connecticut’s public transportation system.”
All CTfastrak and CTtransit local buses will accept Token Transit, including the Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford Divisions, as well as CTtransit in Bristol, Meriden, New Britain, Wallingford, and Waterbury.
CTtransit Express buses are not currently included as part of this pilot program. Any customer who uses Token Transit on a CTtransit local bus and transfers to a CTtransit Express bus will need to pay the difference in fares with cash at the farebox of the express bus.
Here’s what passengers need to know when using Token Transit:
In Connecticut, 9-Town Transit, Middletown Area Transit (MAT), Southeast Area Transit (SEAT), and Windham Regional Transit District (WRTD) have already begun successfully offering their customers the choice to use Token Transit to pay for fares. With Token Transit as an option, all existing fare payment options will continue to be offered.
“Estuary and Middletown Transit Districts partnered with Token Transit in October 2020 to provide customers with a contactless form of payment during the pandemic,” said Estuary and Middletown Transit Executive Director Joe Comerford. “Token Transit was quick to get up and running, and it was easy to train our team. Customers have found the app straightforward, and their integrations with other widely used apps make fare payment more accessible than ever.”
CTtransit and CTfastrak Customers can use Token Transit to purchase a two-hour pass for $1.75. For seniors (ages 65+) and people with disabilities, the cost is $0.85. A two-hour pass for youth ages five through 18 is $1.40. Children four years old and younger can ride free, with a maximum of three free children per fare-paying adult. Any person seeking a reduced fare must have either a Medicare I.D. card or a Transit Reduced Fare photo I.D. card.
The Go CT card will continue to be available to CTtransit and CTfastrak customers and will use a system called Fare Capping to calculate their fares and pay the lowest possible price with no guesswork for the user.
Token Transit partners with 143 other United States and Canada transit agencies.
For more information, help planning a trip, and a list of routes, visit CTtransit.com.
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[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement in response to a new Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering issued by the American Gaming Association (AGA), which includes a prohibition on college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports wagering activity:
“The American Gaming Association’s new sports betting code of conduct is a serious effort to protect young people from gambling addiction. I applaud AGA for seeking to set meaningful industry standards that specifically prohibit college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports betting. Unfortunately, the benefits of this new code are limited given that not all sports betting companies – in fact, many of the largest ones – aren’t members of the AGA and don’t abide by their standards. Caesars’ irresponsible – and on occasion, potentially illegal – marketing to college students through their schools remains entirely unacceptable. I look forward to learning more from the schools themselves about what outreach they’ve received from sports betting companies, particularly in light of AGA’s new industry standards that make clear that any sports betting partnerships with schools is unacceptable.”
Yesterday, Blumenthal wrote to colleges and universities with the top revenue generating basketball and football programs in the United States, seeking information about possible partnerships with sports betting companies and urging the schools to consider the serious risks on-campus sports betting poses to students. Blumenthal discussed the letters on Monday at an event with the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling in Hartford, Connecticut.
“Universities, and their athletic departments, have a duty first and foremost to protect student health. Certain factors – such as their age, stress, and past substance abuse or depression histories – make students especially vulnerable to gambling addiction,” wrote Blumenthal. “Experts have said that it can be difficult for young people to recognize their inability to gamble responsibly, so it is deeply concerning that universities are willing to partner with sports betting companies.”
In November, Blumenthal wrote Caesars Sportsbook & Casino urging the company to “end its practice of targeting colleges and universities, discontinue any existing partnerships with schools, and abide by industry standards that prohibit marketing to college students.” Blumenthal also wrote the American Gaming Association (AGA), which has established standards that explicitly prohibit advertising sports wagering on college or university campuses as well as in college- or university-affiliated news assets.
Blumenthal’s letters follow increased reporting about the ways that sports betting companies are partnering with colleges and universities to target students with online gambling advertisements. For example, in 2021, after Louisiana State University signed a deal with Caesars, the university sent a campus-wide email encouraging students to “place your first bet (and earn your first bonus).” As Blumenthal noted in his letter to the AGA, “experts have said that it can be difficult for young people to recognize their inability to gamble responsibly, which could lead to serious mental and financial consequences.”
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Hartford, CT – Today on Monday March 27th at 5pm, immigrant’s rights advocates, community members, and healthcare providers gathered for Rally and Visibility Action demanding that our CT state legislators invest in the health and future of our state by funding an expansion of HUSKY Healthcare program for income eligible immigrants under 26 years of age, which according to estimates, will cost around $15 million or 1% of the total medicaid budget.
During the event, immigrants and advocates called for Legislators to include funding in the state budget for an expansion of the HUSKY Healthcare program for income eligible immigrants under 26 years of age, conveying urgency by sharing their personal struggles of accessing healthcare – from having to rely on over the counter medication to treat chronic illness to not being able to access life saving surgery. This expansion would cost roughly 1% of the CT’s total Medicaid budget and cover about 5,000 young people who are currently living without access to health insurance. The impact on CT’s health equity in raising HUSKY eligibility to 26 would be great – as 66% of CT’s undocumented and recent immigrants aged 19-24 lack health insurance, whereas that number is only 39% for those under 18.
Ensuring that young people have healthcare into their mid-twenties is crucial for their short- and long-term health, as studies have recently recognized that young adults are a vulnerable population due to high rates of behavioral health risks and susceptibility to emerging or worsening chronic health conditions. Expanding up to age 26 will provide health care to a wide variety of persons: parents, workers, students – a necessary step if Connecticut envisions a state with healthy families and a stable, thriving, growing workforce that is ready to meet the needs of our future.
Legislative champions who spoke during the rally agreed. Representative Hughes stated “It is policy violence to exclude anyone from healthcare. We should not have to come to this legislature year after year to demand that our humanity is recognized. I respect you everyone here today for keeping up the fight year after year”. Representative Porter stated “Health care is a human right. I’m a mother and a grandmother. My children were covered by their health insurance up to the age of 26. My kids are no different than your kids. We will keep fighting until we win what is right.”
The HUSKY for Immigrant Coalition’s renewed demands come after a bill to expand HUSKY health to income eligible immigrants under 26 received overwhelming support at its public hearing – a 12 hour public hearing was accompanied by over 700 testimonies submitted in support and almost 200 testifying in person or on zoom.
Luis Luna, HUSKY for Immigrants Coalition Manager. “A budget is a moral document, and if our state truly wants to build a healthy and thriving workforce, our elected officials must not leave whole communities behind. That’s why today we gathered to remind the legislators creating our state’s budget – including funding for HUSKY expansion to immigrants in our state’s budget is the morally and fiscally right thing for our state to do. The current gap in HUSKY eligibility (which cuts off at age 12) makes too many of Connecticut’s immigrants much too vulnerable, compounding existing disparities in healthcare access. Studies and physicians’ organizations emphasize time and time again the importance of ensuring that young adults receive continuous care from the teenage years into young adulthood. That’s why Connecticut Children’s Hospital, a health system specifically dedicated to providing pediatric health care, provides “Adolescent Health Services” to youth ages 10-24. Ensuring that young people have healthcare into their mid-twenties is crucial for their short- and long-term health, as it will allow them to access essential health benefits at a critical phase in their development. Raising the age of HUSKY access for immigrants in our state to 26 will only cost 1% of CT’s Medicaid Budget – Why is this too much to invest in the health of our youth? In this year’s legislative session, Connecticut has the opportunity to be a national leader in health justice by ensuring that its young, low-income community members have access to health care, regardless of where they were born.
Rosa Rodriguez, Connecticut Worker Center, Bridgeport “I am an immigrant and mother of 4 children. I am so glad that in CT currently undocumented kids 12 and under have access to HUSKY – this is a step in the right direction. But I’m here today because I firmly believe that health is a fundamental human right regardless of your immigration status or age. I’m here today because myself and my family need health care too. We face many challenges because we do not have access to health insurance. Years ago, I suffered facial paralysis and recently I was hospitalized at the Bridgeport Hospital for four days due to symptoms of a stroke. I am worried that my health will worsen and I will not be able to take care of my family. I have to follow treatment with different specialists, and not having health insurance has made it difficult for me to continue with my treatment or purchase the Prescription drugs I need. I feel frustrated. I want to be healthy so that I can continue taking care of my family and my four kids. We need a healthy Connecticut, where our families are protected. And that’s why i’m asking today for our CT legislators to include in our state’s budget an expansion of HUSKY eligibility to immigrants”
Joe Foran, Connecticut nurse “I have been a nurse for 12 years, where I currently specialize in providing primary care in marginalized communities. I’m here today because as a healthcare provider, I know first hand that without health care coverage, many individuals delay seeking care until their condition requires emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Early treatment reduces the amount an individual will pay for healthcare in the long term by preventing health issues from worsening. Lack of access to healthcare means that chronic health issues, such as diabetes and heart disease, that could be easily managed or treated, develop into more serious conditions that require more medical interventions and become more expensive in the long run. I could tell many stories – of a young man in kidney failure requiring dialysis because he suffered for too long with undiagnosed high BP, of dental abscesses that were untreated which can cause infection. So today, I ask our CT legislators to include in the CT state budget funding for expansion HUSKY to income eligible immigrants under 26. I ask our legislators, what will cost more: Blood pressure medication or a stroke? Cholesterol medication or a heart attack? A dental cleaning or a root canal? The answer is simple, preventative care is important and we need to fund it now.”
The HUSKY for Immigrants Coalition is a coalition of immigrants rights organizers, health care advocacy organizers, community leaders, healthcare providers, faith leaders and unions fighting for access to health care and health coverage for CT’s immigrant population. Coalition members include: CT Students for a Dream; Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut; Hispanic Federation; The Semilla Collective; Make the Road CT, Hartford Deportation Defense, CT Citizens Action Group; CT Working Families Party; Planned Parenthood Votes! CT, Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF).
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong this week submitted testimony calling for funds received through the $438.5 million multistate vaping settlement with JUUL to be directed to Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations (RBHAOs) to combat youth vaping and nicotine use.
His testimony, in support of House Bill No. 6914, An Act Concerning the Use of Funds in the Opioid and Tobacco Settlement Funds and Funds Received by the State as Part of Any Settlement Agreement with a Manufacturer of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Vapor Products, addresses safeguards and reporting requirements for both opioid and tobacco settlement funds.
Connecticut led 34 states and territories last year in brokering the settlement with JUUL, resolving a two-year bipartisan investigation into the company’s marketing and sales practices. Connecticut is due to receive approximately $16 million through the settlement, which is to be used for cessation, prevention, and mitigation.
RBHAOs are created in statute and funded primarily through federal block grant dollars administered by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
“RBHAOs are responsible for providing a range of planning, education and advocacy initiatives related to mental health and substance use prevention, treatment and recovery, including addressing the youth vaping epidemic fueled by JUUL and others. RBHAOs are engaged in our local communities – building coalitions with prevention advocates, parents, youth, educators, healthcare providers and other community stakeholders and are well-positioned to use these funds so that they have the most impact,” Attorney General Tong states in his testimony.
“The most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated that 27% of youth in Connecticut are 30-day users of vaping products. The Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations and the local prevention councils they fund have been on the front lines of the teen vaping epidemic in our schools and communities, working to implement the same strategies that reduced youth smoking decades ago. From implementing anti-vaping curricula, to educating parents to changing perceptions and behavior among users and enacting local ordinances to control marketing to kids – we have undertaken these efforts on a shoestring. The funds from the JUUL settlement will enable our organizations to implement a science-based, consistent, coordinated strategy, that integrates across communities and across the state. Vaping is a significant public health problem with lifelong consequences for our kids and young people and these JUUL settlement dollars represent a unique opportunity to address the vaping crisis in a holistic way,” said Pamela Mautte, Chair of the Connecticut Prevention Network.
Attorney General Tong’s testimony also supports updating the existing reporting requirements for opioid settlement funds to make clear that municipalities must comply with the same reporting requirements already in place for state-administered funds.
Over the past four years, Connecticut has led nationwide efforts to hold the entire addiction industry accountable for the opioid epidemic, securing more than $50 billion for treatment and prevention. Connecticut will receive over $600 million to save lives across our state. Public Act 22-48, passed last year, requires that funding support evidence-based treatment, prevention and recovery programs. The law established the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee comprised of health professionals, individuals with lived experience, and state and municipal leaders to ensure robust and informed public involvement, accountability and transparency in allocating and accounting for the opioid funds. The committee held its first meeting on March 13. That committee is required to produce an annual report detailing its expenditures. H.B. 6914 simply ensures that municipal spending is reported alongside the state accounting.
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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker today announced details of a new state initiative that aims to strengthen Connecticut’s efforts to recruit and retain a strong and diverse educator workforce through the reimagining of teacher evaluations and the modernizing of teacher certifications. The initiative focuses on ensuring that teachers are evaluated on a fair and consistent basis, and that they receive the support they need to improve their skills and knowledge.
The Connecticut State Department of Education’s Educator Evaluation and Support (EES) Council, codified in Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-151b as the Performance Evaluation and Advisory Council, has worked collaboratively over the past 20 months to develop an educator evaluation system based on research, best practices, continuous improvement, and focused on educator practice and student growth.
Under this initiative, the EES Council will be proposing to the Connecticut State Board of Education a new educator evaluation and support system based on state or national performance standards, aligned with the goals of districts, and include feedback and support for educators informed by multiple measures of student learning, growth, and achievement. Districts will have the 2023-2024 school year to plan for implementation of the new Connecticut Guidelines for Educator Evaluation beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
Currently, training is being developed for educators (teachers and administrators) who will be evaluated under the new guidelines, as well as for school and district leaders who will be evaluating teachers and administrators. Guidance is also being developed for district Professional Development and Evaluation Committees to ensure successful implementation of the new guidelines.
The EES stakeholder organizations include:
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education of Connecticut (AACTE-CT)
American Federation of Teachers of Connecticut (AFT-CT)
Connecticut State Department of Education
Connecticut State Board of Education
Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE)
Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS)
Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS)
Connecticut Education Association (CEA)
Connecticut Association of School Administrators (CASA)
Connecticut Federation of School Administrators (CFSA)
Minority Teacher Recruitment (MTR) Policy Oversight Council
Regional Educational Service Center (RESC) Alliance
The Connecticut State Department of Education has also prioritized modernizing teacher certification to make it easier to become an educator while maintaining a high-quality educator workforce. The department, along with input from stakeholders, has identified short-term regulatory proposals to improve certification while Connecticut moves toward long-term solutions.
The Connecticut State Department of Education will convene a group of stakeholders to review and identify a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of the certification regulations. Like the EES Council, this group will be pivotal to the modernization of certification regulations.
Governor Lamont said, “We owe it to our students to provide them with the best possible education, and that starts with ensuring that our teachers are well-trained and supported. These proposed reforms are an important step forward in our efforts to improve the quality of education in Connecticut.”
Commissioner Russell-Tucker said, “The Connecticut State Department of Education has made it one of our top priorities to have a high-quality and diverse educator workforce. We believe that the current collaborative efforts with our education partners will help us reach our goal. We are so grateful to our partner organizations that we are moving forward together in modernizing teacher certification and reimagining performance evaluation and supports in Connecticut.”
State Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford), co-chair of the legislature’s Education Committee, said, “Every day, teachers serve as role models to our students and help them reach their academic and personal goals. I welcome this new initiative to help ensure that Connecticut’s teachers are well-trained and prepared for a 21st century classroom. Step-by-step, these actions are strengthening Connecticut’s efforts to recruit, train, and mentor a diverse educator workforce.”
CEA President Kate Dias said, “We are very excited to see the collaborative work of all stakeholders reflected in this revision to teacher evaluation. This new process is more reflective, it focuses on creating support networks to strengthen our teacher workforce, and it seeks to make educators valued partners in building successful learning communities. We are happy to move away from a performative process and toward a meaningful one that values the work of educators.”
AFT-CT Vice President for PreK-12 Teachers Mary Yordon said, “Connecticut and the nation face an escalating learning crisis fueled by teachers and support staff leaving our profession. That makes the Lamont administration’s embrace of this new evaluation model an important step toward empowering educators to address it. It represents a revolutionary change in evaluation that will promote growth in an environment of trust and respect. Our members have long called for this kind of a differentiated approach to achieving professional improvement. This new model further amplifies what the research says works; inspire educators to think deeply and discuss individual practice with their evaluators in meaningful, complex and practical terms.”
CAPSS Executive Director Fran Rabinowitz said, “Educator supervision and evaluation is the foundation for success in every school district. It was well worth the 18 months of work to collaboratively develop a process that will not only support and develop our educators but also has an accountability system that makes sense. It was some of the best and most rewarding work that I have been involved in as CAPSS executive director. I am grateful for the opportunity.”
CABE Executive Director Patrice McCarthy said, “These proposals will allow Connecticut to continue to move forward in promoting student success. Supporting educator growth is critical to meet student needs and attracting and retaining a diverse educator workforce benefits all our students as they prepare to enter a global economy.”
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New contest prompts encourage students to show off their energy efficiency smarts; deadline March 31
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Energize Connecticut℠ sponsors, Eversource and AVANGRID, Inc. subsidiaries United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas, announced today that the 18th annual eesmarts™ Student Contest is now accepting student submissions until March 31, 2023.
Updates to grade-specific prompts have been made this year to foster students’ creativity and allow for new technologies and social media platforms to be used in responses. The contest is open to Connecticut students in grades K-12 and topics are focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability solutions.
“For almost two decades, the eesmarts Student Contest has engaged students throughout Connecticut and has asked them to use their imagination and knowledge to come up with solutions to address real-world energy matters,” said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility Tilak Subrahmanian. “Our new prompts are designed to foster creativity and empower students to leverage new technologies and tools that are readily available to them today. We are excited to see how students implement these platforms to address critical energy issues and the importance of energy efficiency in their responses this year.”
“Computers, video, social media and even, gaming technology have changed how students interact with and learn about important environmental issues like energy conservation, renewable energy and energy efficiency,” said Erik Robie, Director of Customer Programs & Products at AVANGRID. “Our students are our future. We hope that with these changes more students are engaged in the eesmarts Student Contest and inspire others to make meaningful change in our community.”
Students in grades K-8 are assigned grade-specific topics and asked to submit their entries in the form of a poster (Grades K-2), narrative (Grade 3), letter to the principal (Grade 4), children’s picture book (Grade 5), persuasive TikTok (Grade 6), anime or comic strip (Grade 7), or a public service announcement for social media (Grade 8).
Students in Grades 9-11 are asked to propose a community-based project to address an energy-related issue. Students may work in groups of up to three members. The winning team’s school will receive funding to help make their proposed project a reality and must complete it by March 31, 2024.
Students competing in the Grade 12 category will produce a persuasive infographic that advocates for energy conservation and alternate energy sources. Infographics are eye-catching, concise overviews (typically one page) that contain images, data visualizations (charts or graphs), and minimal text. Entries will be evaluated based on scientific accuracy and concise and convincing imagery.
Finalists in all categories and grade levels will be honored at a special awards ceremony to be held in May 2023. Winners will receive a certificate and an Amazon gift card.
For more information about the contest, please visit www.eesmarts.com/contest.
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