ConnCAP has embarked upon its 30^th year of student services.  Boasting a 99% high school graduation rate and a 90% matriculation rate over the 30 years, ConnCAP continues to shine.  Once again this summer over 100 Waterbury high school students from grades 9-12 have an action packed agenda. Participating students will spend six weeks on campus honing academic skills to better prepare for the fall.  “ConnCAP students are enjoying their classes and are active in all the activities. It is exciting to see their enthusiasm,” says ConnCAP Coordinator Ines Velez. ConnCAP coursework includes preparatory English, Personal Finance, Science (General Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), Conversational Spanish, Health & Nutrition, Forensics and Anatomy.  The staff has taken on a few new initiatives this summer as well.  The Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) group, made up of 20 youth employees, will be offered a Principles of Marketing course taught by NVCC professor Carl Ullman. The three-credit course will offer rigorous college level coursework to the WIOA students.  In addition, per the Office of Higher Education, ConnCAP students will be assessed using both Accuplacer Diagnostic and Placement testing. The Office of Higher Education (OHE) has initiated this practice into all ConnCAP programs in the state with the goal of assessing college readiness of pre-collegiate students. 

The Community College Scholar (CCS) summer bridge program kicked off on Monday, July 11. Twenty-nine incoming NVCC freshman began preparing for the fall by taking coursework including First Year Experience (FYE), Math 095 and English 096.  The newly recruited cohort will take part in various workshops and team building exercises led by NVCC faculty and staff.  In addition, 25 second-year students are maintaining their momentum towards graduation by taking Communications (COM 100) and Communication Studies Applications (CSA 105) during the summer months. CCS is proud to welcome our new coordinator, Rachael Lederman DiPietro to the Bridge to College staff.  Rachael comes to us with a wealth of experience in higher education and community service. “I am excited to work with CCS students. We look forward to making a difference by providing structured and personalized support so that students are empowered to succeed.”