Business, government, alumni and educators gather at State Capitol to kick off Foundation

Supporting Connecticut 's newest education foundation

Ted Sergi presented the first public donation to Carol Wallace, president of the CTHSS Foundation at its kick off event at the State Capitol in late September. The Foundation has begun fundraising to help support student scholarships, special programs and other school needs.

Ted Sergi gives Carol Wallace the  first public donation to the CTHSS Foundation

"Our technical high schools have many successful graduates, good friends and supporters throughout the state and region who would like to give back and support improvements in our schools.  We wanted to create a mechanism that would facilitate that process, and help individuals and institutions to direct resources to meet the needs of our schools," said Wallace, who is also president and CEO of Cooper-Atkins Corporation.

Planning for the Foundation began during Dr. Sergi's years as State Education Commissioner. CTHSS created the foundation as a new resource in its efforts to improve opportunities for its students as they prepare for careers in the technical fields.

Joseph Brennan of CBIA offered support and congratulations from Connecticut 's business community. He noted that it is in the business community's best interest to support the highest quality educational experiences for CTHSS students and supporting the foundation is one way we can help.

Joseph Brennan of CBIA lends support to the CTHSS Foundation

The Foundation's board of directors will meet in early November to set a course for the fundraising campaign.

CTHSS gets help from key legislative leaders to overturn ruling that would prohibit private donations to tech schools

An unexpected and unintended consequence of last year's ethics legislation was to prohibit donations from some major corporations to state technical high schools and public colleges and universities in Connecticut .  Sen. Thomas Gaffey and Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, chairmen of the legislature's education committee, pledged support for revisions to the law to assure that companies may continue to donate funds and equipment to state-run schools.

Senator Gaffey speaks to the audience at the CTHSS Foundation Kick-Off