Dr. Robert Ballard discovers The Learning Corridor
Marine Explorer to address 1st Annual Academic Workshop at
Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics and Science.

          HARTFORD, CT.-- The Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics and Science at the Learning Corridor, along with Trinity College faculty will host its’ First Annual Professional Development Conference: Integrating Mathematics and Science in Connecticut Classrooms. The day-long conference, aimed at high school and middle school math and science teachers, will be held at the Learning Corridor campus on November 6, 2001 and is sponsored in part by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.
           Dr. Robert Ballard, the world-renowned deep sea explorer and science education advocate, will be the keynote speaker. Dr. Ballard is best known for his discovery of the Titanic. Ballard will be discussing deep-sea exploration in a talk that should be appropriate for middle school through adult audiences. Teachers are encouraged to bring their students and parents are encouraged to bring their children. Ballard’s lecture is free and open to the public and begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Theater for Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor in Hartford. Reservations are required. Those interested in attending his lecture need to call 860-757-6388.
           During the day, nearly 20 different workshops will be offered to middle school and high school teachers and encompass subjects such as ‘A Primer on Visible and UV Spectroscopy,’ ‘Lasers on A Budget,’ ‘A Primer on Chromatography ­ Applications in Forensic Science,’ and ‘Using Mathematics to Explain Phenomena”.
           “This will be one on the largest Professional Development Conferences in the Hartford area,” said Dr. Jeffrey Osborne, Director of the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science. “This conference will continue to fulfill our mission of integrating Math and Science for all districts in the Greater Hartford area. We are truly a resource center for all children and teachers from the surrounding towns.”
           The Learning Corridor sits on a16-acre campus adjacent to the Institute of Living. It comprises four schools encompassing grades pre-K through 12. There is a Montessori Elementary School, a Magnet Middle School, and two Greater Hartford Academies that teach high school-level Math, Science, and the Arts. Also included on the campus are support programs for the youth-- a Boys and Girls Club and the Aetna Center for Families. There is no other public school campus in the country that combines these elements.
           The Learning Corridor was created by a collaborative effort involving the leadership of Hartford Hospital, The Institute of Living, Trinity College, Connecticut Public Television, The Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and other committed Hartford stakeholders. There’s a lot of light shining on The Learning Corridor because it has already become more than an innovative new school system intent on achieving educational goals. It has become a source of pride for Hartford.