THE CONNECTICUT INNOVATION ACADEMY

The Connecticut Innovation Academy (CTIA) develops secondary school academic skills, communication skills, creative thinking and problem solving through the completion of a comprehensive Information technology research and development project. The curriculum is designed for students in grades 9 through 12 and is an integral part of the digital media workforce development effort in Connecticut.

In this yearlong program, students act as members of a design team and utilize a variety of communication technologies and multimedia software to research, design, develop and present a viable solution to a comprehensive challenge.

Students form a mock technology company and assume roles in the company to complete activities needed to develop a solution. Patent research and intellectual property management are integral components of the project. This comprehensive instructional strategy mirrors IT industry and project engineering work that results in multiple solutions and fosters the development of valuable high-tech engineering and business management skills.

The Connecticut Innovation Academy is part of the Connecticut Career Choices (CCC) project of The Center for 21st Century Skills and The Education Connection in Litchfield. Dedicated to designing and delivering programs and resources that facilitate development of core academic, communication, creative-thinking and problem-solving capabilities, these organizations make Connecticut a national leader in innovation and high performance in secondary education and in the workplace.