SC
Sydney Cothran
  • Elementary Education, Mathematics
  • Class of 2013
  • East Hartford, CT

Eastern Connecticut State University Student Sydney Cothran of East Hartford Member of Education Club

2012 Mar 1

Sydney Cothran '13 of East Hartford, CT, is a member of Eastern's Education Club. Cothran is a Pre-Elementary Education major.

The purpose of the Education Club is to provide a safer educational environment for students, to strengthen the relationship between Eastern and the surrounding community, to enhance Eastern's education program, and to provide hands-on experience for its members.

During the fall 2011 semester, the Education Club developed a pen pal program with a third-grade class in a local school, writing back and forth once a week. They also are planning a Read-a-thon at Sweeney Elementary School in Willimantic for April 2012, and members are developing a beautification project and an after-school mentoring program for fifth- and sixth-grade girls.

More than 30 percent of the full-time students enrolled at Eastern now participate in at least one club/organization, an increase of almost 10 percent since fall 2008. Students who participate in clubs/organizations excel in the classroom and do better academically than students who do not participate. In spring 2011, 1,345 full-time students participating in clubs had an average GPA of 3.06, much higher than the 2.84 average for those students not taking part in any of the nearly 70 clubs/organizations.

Clubs/organizations planned and implemented almost 600 events last academic year. These programs have a direct impact on the daily life of all students on Eastern's campus. The programs range from social to educational, physical to spiritual, and civic engagement programs that equally affect the community.

Eastern Connecticut State University is the state's public liberal arts university. Eastern serves approximately 5,600 students each year on its Willimantic campus and satellite locations.