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DAYVILLE, CT – On Wednesday, May 6th, The Northeast CT Education Foundation (NCEF) held its second annual Scholarship Night at Killingly High School in Dayville. The ceremony celebrated Windham County residents pursuing higher education. In total, over $201,000 was awarded to 107 local students, many of which are new or continuing students at CT State Community College Quinebaug Valley. NCEF scholarships support direct educational expenses including tuition, books, fees, technology, and other course requirements. During the ceremony, NCEF Scholarship Chair Eddie Graff shared his personal story with 2026 recipients, “Fourteen years ago, when I was a Quinebaug Valley Community College student, Foundation scholarships changed my life and provided opportunities I could never have imagined. It gives me such pride to now serve as a board member of the Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation and as chair of the scholarship committee. I truly hope that our 2026 recipients will be inspired to one day help others achieve their educational dreams.” The Foundation extends sincere appreciation to all who assisted with making the annual Scholarship Night a success, including the scholarship committee members, volunteers Maureen Brodeur, Kathy Borner, Martin Charette, Lynne Comtois, Dan Donahue, Susan Harrod, and Bruce Wolanin, as well as Killingly High School administration and staff for providing their auditorium. The mission of the Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation is to provide scholarships and other financial support to residents of Northeast Connecticut who want to pursue higher education. To learn more about the NCEF, visit www.necteducationfoundation.org. For more information on how to support local students at CT State Quinebaug Valley, please contact Director of Institutional Advancement Monique C.K. Wolanin at (860) 932-4174 or [email protected]. Click here for a full list of 2026 NCEF Scholarship Recipients Click here for the 2026 NCEF Scholarship Night Photo Gallery    

The Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation (NCEF) proudly announces that registration is open for a free 10-week English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Summer Bridge Program. This is the fourth consecutive summer the program will be offered thanks to a generous grant from the Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts (SFFEA). The funding covers tuition and educational expenses for 2026 high school graduates and adult learners who plan to enroll at CT State Quinebaug Valley in the fall. Elkin Espitia-Loaiza, Quinebaug Valley Professor of ESOL, Spanish, and ESOL Program Coordinator commented, “For the last three years, English Language Learner (ELL) students have received invaluable benefits from participating in this program.  It enables students to bridge academic transitions from spring to fall and minimizes the summer regression in English acquisition and proficiency. In addition to fulfilling course requirements, students benefit from community building and mentorship opportunities. At the end of the day, ELL students in the Summer Bridge Program gain more confidence in themselves both in and out of the classroom.” Past Summer Bridge student, Carmen Rodríguez de Cruz shared, “The classes I took last summer gave me extra time to focus on speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English. I was grateful for the small class size, access to tutors, and field trips to other schools. All of this without worrying about the expense that usually comes with taking summer classes.” The 2026 program will run May 29 through August 9 at the CT State Quinebaug Valley Willimantic campus, offering courses in Business, College Readiness, and ESOL. In addition, students will take part in one cultural field trip to the Peabody Museum at Yale University and three academic field trips to the Quinebaug Valley Danielson campus, Eastern Connecticut State University, and UCONN. Prospective students, parents, and adult learners are invited to attend the ESOL Information Session at 5pm on Monday, May 11 at the CT State Quinebaug Valley Willimantic campus located at 729 Main Street, Willimantic, CT. To learn more or to register, please contact Elkin Espitia-Loaiza at [email protected].

Willimantic, CT – The Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation (NCEF) is proud to support student awards for the 19th Annual Julius Sokenu Poetry Contest, a lively annual event honoring the best student poetry in English and Spanish at CT State Community College Quinebaug Valley. For 2026, the awards celebration will be held on Thursday April 30 from 6 – 9 p.m. in the Townsend Family Room at the college’s Willimantic Center at 729 Main Street Willimantic, CT. In total, the NCEF will provide $1,000 for student awards this year. This poetry prize was created as a tribute to respected professor Dr. Sokenu from his faculty and staff colleagues when he left Quinebaug Valley Community College for another position. The awards are given annually to students who compete in multiple categories, including English, Spanish for heritage speakers, and Spanish for non-heritage speakers. It is a moving ceremony for all who are fortunate to partake. Jon Andersen, CT State Quinebaug Valley English Department Chair shared the impact these awards have on students, “Community college is like poetry itself, I think: a place where you can discover what you have to say, a place to say it, and a place to be heard. On the Sokenu Awards night we celebrate our many differences and all we share. The Foundation makes this possible, year after year.” The contest is open exclusively to CT State students whose home campus is Quinebaug Valley. Submissions will be accepted through April 9th with student award winners invited to share their work in a reading with an acclaimed guest poet. For 2026, the event will feature 2025 National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco. Questions about the awards can be directed to Jon Andersen at [email protected] or Elkin Espitia-Loaiza, professor of Spanish and ESOL, at [email protected].   Photo credit: Deneuve Bastien

The Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation (NCEF) is proud to offer over $189,000 in scholarships for the 2026-2027 school year. Scholarships are open to Windham County residents pursuing higher education. With over 115 individual awards ranging from $500 to $2,500, this is a great opportunity for local students who want to pursue their educational goals at Connecticut State Community College Quinebaug Valley or other higher education institutions. Joseph Adiletta, President of the NCEF stated, “Scholarships are at the heart of the Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation. They truly are a hand-up for the students we serve. We are grateful to our many donors who believe in the importance of higher education and support our mission.” Pomfret resident and recent scholarship recipient John Murray shared how his award helped him, “With support from the NCEF, I graduated from CT State Community College Quinebaug Valley and transferred to Loyola University Chicago where I am studying international business. I urge students to take the time and apply; you never know where a scholarship can take you.” For all information about NCEF’s scholarships, including who can apply, required documents, and specific scholarship criteria, go to necteducationfoundation.org/scholarships/. Completed applications must be submitted by noon on March 13, 2026. An impartial committee of NCEF Board of Directors will review applications. Scholarships will be presented at the NCEF Scholarship Night on Wednesday, May 6 at 5:00 pm at Killingly Intermediate School in Dayville. Recipients will be notified in advance of the ceremony and are required to attend to receive their award.

The Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation (NCEF) is pleased to award two CT State Community College Quinebaug Valley students with scholarships to attend the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights (OCHR) in England in 2026. Putnam residents Keegan McOsker and Rebecca Shea will spend a week at the interactive conferences along with students from thirty universities and community colleges across the country and additional students from South Korea, Kenya, and Brazil. Supported by funds raised from the Foundation’s annual golf tournament and Tackle the Trail events, the scholarship covers program fees and travel expenses up to $5,000 each, giving students a rare opportunity to study abroad and learn from international scholars in the field of human rights. NCEF President Joseph Adiletta commented on the impact of the program, “This international exposure to students from Northeast Connecticut can be a life changing experience. NCEF’s ability to support students derives directly from the generous donations of so many of our community friends, businesses, and organizations, to whom I extend NCEF’s sincere appreciation.” Thanks to Steve and Marge Townsend, past OCHR scholarship winners include Emmalee Fritzsche of Canterbury, Julia Revellese of Dayville, John Murray of Pomfret Center, and Kenna Lavallee of Danielson.   Keegan McOsker, who will participate in the Human Rights in War and Climate Emergency program in March of 2026 noted, “I look forward to gaining a deeper understanding of human rights as a whole and specifically the ways in which we can help the many lives that have been upturned by war.”  Rebecca Shea expressed her gratitude to the Foundation, “I am incredibly grateful and profoundly honored to have been selected to attend the consortium. This is an exciting opportunity to be immersed in a different culture and meet students from around the globe.” The mission of the Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation is to provide scholarships and other financial support to residents of Northeast Connecticut who want to pursue higher education. In addition to the OCHR scholarships, the NCEF also provides $300,000 in scholarships and block grants supporting local students each year. Visit necteducationfoundation.org for more information. To learn more about CT State Community College Quinebaug Valley and ways to support local students attending the college, please contact Monique C.K. Wolanin at (860) 932-4174 or [email protected]. OCHR Scholarship Recipients Rebecca Shea and Keegan McOsker with CT State Community College Quinebaug Valley President Mary Ellen Jukoski and Director of Institutional Advancement Monique Wolanin