Newtown High School Teachers Participate In Externship Program

Bridget Berechid of Southbury and Tara Coelho, both Newtown High School educators, will participate in externships beginning this summer that are administered by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) in collaboration with the Connecticut State Community College system.

The teachers were among 45 high school and community college math, science, and technology teachers statewide selected for the two-year program. In addition to the externships, the program includes workshops, conferences, and seminars highlighting the latest technologies used in the industry.

Lauren Weisburg Kaufman, CBIA vice president and director of the association’s Education Foundation, described the program as “a unique partnership with businesses and educators and we are grateful to all the participants for their commitment to teaching students about technological advances and for their willingness to infuse real life experiences into our future workforce.”

CBIA is one of 60 institutions nationwide to be awarded a three-year NSH grant. The program is part of the NSF’s Advanced Technological Education Program. CBIA is the state’s largest business organization with 10,000 members.