Current Program Initiatives

To support families and students whose children need extended summer experiences, ACES Program Development staff designed and implements a 2 week ACES Summer Camp for children with special needs. Supervised camp activities allow children to enjoy academic and artistic challenges in a fun, safe environment.

In response to a national need for children to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles and choices, ACES Program Development staff submitted a successful Carol White Physical Education grant proposal to help ACES middle school students set, manage and implement personal health goals and activities. Year 3 grant activities include sharing strategies with ACES member districts to help children become and stay more active and involved in healthy choices.

ACES Program Development designs and implements a range of programs to support high-quality teaching and learning in ACES schools and member districts.

In addition, ACES Program Development spearheaded an agency-wide ACES Strategic Planning initiative in 2007-2008. During the 2008-2009 school year, the Development unit will help ACES Administrators focus on strategies and specific results from the Strategic Plan related to:

• Program assessment processes
• Entrepreneurial opportunities
• External communication and marketing
• Improving student achievement

Recent Program Development initiatives include:

The Teaching American History project. The Teaching American History project is serving 65 teachers of grades 5-12 in school districts throughout south central Connecticut. Through a partnership with Yale University’s History Department and the Gilder Lehrman Center, teachers are experiencing in-depth U.S. History professional development that includes opportunities to examine primary resources and travel to important historic sites. This program, which will help teachers inspire students to learn about, and participate in, the unfolding story of American democracy, is supported by a U.S. Department of Education Teaching American History grant.

For further information, please contact Joanne Manginelli.

The Elementary and Secondary Schools Counseling Project. Through this project, ACES will provide comprehensive school-based mental health services to students at ACES Village School in North Haven, Connecticut. ACES Village School serves students from across south central Connecticut who need a specialized learning environment due to disabilities. Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, ACES Village School will be able to provide individual and group counseling for students, develop a differentiated counseling and social skills curriculum to support their acquisition of skills, and provide a range of supports for families.

For further information, please contact Vanessa Taragowski.

The Leadership For the Future project. This project is helping ACES Collaborative Alternative Magnet School for Leadership, or CAMS, strengthen its efforts to support excellence in teaching and learning. Students are working closely with a Career Development Specialist to help them gain awareness of post-high school possibilities and how to prepare for them. They are experiencing an expanded menu of course options and have the opportunity to enroll in college-level classes while still in high school through a partnership with Gateway Community College. Teachers are engaging in professional development and forming professional learning communities to strengthen their instructional skills. A Magnet Schools Assistance Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education supports this project.

For further information, please contact Maureen Bransfield.

The Gardening for Life project. This project is involving young people and adults with disabilities in regular gardening activities. ACES is partnering with 4H and Lyman Hall Vocational Agricultural high school in Wallingford to provide opportunities for ACES Whitney High School students and adults who benefit from ACES ACCESS to engage in recreational and skill-building horticultural endeavors. This project was made possible by a Recreational Programs grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

For further information, please contact Gina Drury.

After school and professional development for after-school service providers. ACES Program Development is exploring and developing numerous after-school initiatives so that more students have a safe and stimulating place to be once the school day ends. ACES also provides professional development for staff of other after-school programs to ensure that all of the area’s students experience consistently high-quality learning opportunities.

For further information, please contact Alice Torres.