NEW LONDON, Conn. — Director of Athletics Tim Fitzpatrick has announced the formation of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Athletics Speakers Bureau.

Fitzpatrick, who took over as director of athletics in September, has stressed that local outreach is a critical part of the department of athletics mission.

The speakers bureau will make the Bears’ head coaches and athletic administrators available to speak at assorted community and educational events throughout New London.

“Our staff and coaches realize that as athletic professionals they have an obligation to promote core values, health and well being,” said Fitzpatrick. “We all look forward to the opportunity to spread the good news about college athletics to our home community.”

“As a person who grew up in the area, I understand the importance of reaching out to the community and letting them know all the great things that are going on here at the Academy,” said Coast Guard men’s basketball head coach Kevin Jaskiewicz, who grew up in nearby Montville, Conn.

The speakers bureau is the first of several planned initiatives to advance this cause.

"Through collegiate athletics I have witnessed young men and women develop physically, emotionally and confidently”, said Coast Guard softball head coach Donna Koczajowski. “This is what makes my profession so addicting and why I truly believe that athletics is a universal language.”

NEW LONDON. Conn. — The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is scheduled to host its annual Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols Wednesday at Cadet Memorial Chapel on campus here.

The service, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. and serves as the academy’s kickoff to the holiday season.

This event represents the Academy kickoff for the Holiday Season.

The service begins with the U.S. Coast Guard Band Brass Ensemble performing at 6:45 p.m., followed by a traditional service at 7 p.m. when the combined Chapel Choirs and Glee Club will perform.

Following the service, Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz and her husband Bob Volpe will light the academy Christmas tree.

NEW LONDON, Conn. — The U.S. Coast Guard Academy Cadet Mock Trial Team and Cadet Law Society are scheduled to host the Fifth Annual Guardian Invitational Mock Trial Competition at the academy here Friday through Sunday.

Under the auspices of the American Mock Trial Association, the Coast Guard Academy has hosted the intercollegiate mock trial competition in October each year for the past four years. This year’s event will include more than 22 teams composed of more than 220 students from colleges and universities throughout the country, including American, Amherst, Fordham, Holy Cross, Roger Williams, Rutgers, Seton Hall, the University of Connecticut, the University of Hartford, the University of Massachusetts, Quinnipiac University and Yale.

During mock trial evets, participants are afforded the opportunity to practice and develop their public speaking, oral advocacy, self-confidence and critical and analytical thinking skills. Moreover, the Coast Guard cadets who plan and run the competition itself are provided the challenges associated with hosting a large-scale, multi-day event. In all, the three-day event includes involvement of schools from outside the academy’s traditional athletic conferences and leagues, along with the presence and participation of more than 75 attorneys, sitting judges, and other volunteers from throughout the region who serve as judges and jurors.

The following is a schedule of events for the Fifth Annual Guardian Invitational Mock Trial Competition:

Friday, Oct. 21

• 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Registration, lower lounge of Leamy Hall
• 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Opening Ceremonies, Leamy Hall
• 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Round 1, Satterlee Hall

Saturday, Oct. 22

• 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Round 2, Satterlee Hall (room 140)
• 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Round 3, Satterlee Hall (room 140)

Sunday, Oct. 23

• 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Round 4, Satterlee Hall
• 1:30 p.m. Lunch and Closing Ceremonies, Leamy Hall Ballroom

Media note: Any members of the media interested in attending any of the events, please contact the Coast Guard Academy Public Affairs Office at 860-444-8270.

NEW LONDON, Conn. — The U.S. Coast Guard Academy has been recognized as one of the top institutions of higher learning by U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review and Forbes Magazine.

The academy was ranked #1 in the Regional Colleges (North) category in the 2012 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges issue, maintaining that position for a second consecutive year. According to the publication, the academy earned a perfect overall score of 100, highest among the more than 300 colleges ranked in that category.

The academy is also featured in The Princeton Review’s Best in the Northeast section on PrincetonReview.com and ranked highly in Forbes Magazine's America's Best Colleges 2011 edition.

The rankings provide one of the most thorough examinations of how more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools in the U.S. compare in a set of widely-accepted indicators of excellence.

Institutions are generally selected for excellence in academic programs and by what students attending the schools reported about their campus experiences.

The academy's Department of Management was also recognized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business for its ability to “leverage size to assure success.” The AACSB is one of the premiere international business school accrediting bodies, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy is the smallest institution of higher education to be accredited by the AACSB.

"Although we do not focus specifically on rankings, we believe they are important in highlighting the high quality of our institution, our programs and our people," said Kurt Colella, the dean of academics.  "Our culture is focused on continual improvement and never being complacent or satisfied. These rankings are a validation of that attitude."

Visit http://www.usnews.com/colleges for more information about U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges rankings.

NEW LONDON, Conn. — The Coast Guard Academy’s Corps of Cadets is scheduled to march in five regimental reviews at the Coast Guard Academy here during the Fall semester.

The community is invited to attend all drills, which are free and open to the public. Bleachers are available and are located in front of Hamilton Hall with a view of the Washington Parade Field where the ceremony takes place.

In the event of foul weather, reviews will be cancelled or moved to an indoor location.

Regimental reviews are part of military traditions and ceremonies which serve to develop poise, confidence, speaking skills, teamwork and leadership. Moreover, it provides a valuable means of recognizing military heritage and pride in the Coast Guard.

Media is invited to attend all reviews, and photography is encouraged.

Changes to the review schedule can be made without prior notice.

The Corps of Cadets Regimental Review Schedule is as follows:

• Sept. 9, 4:05 p.m.
• Sept. 16, 4:05 p.m.
• Sept. 23, 4:05 p.m.
• Sept. 30, 4:05 p.m.
• Oct. 15, 9:45 a.m.

For more information, contact the public affairs office at (860) 444-8270.

NEW LONDON, Conn. — The Coast Guard Academy’s Corps of Cadets is scheduled to honor the past and present crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle during a regimental review Friday at the Coast Guard Academy here.

Adm. Robert Papp, the commandant of the Coast Guard, and Capt. Eric Jones, the current commanding officer of the Eagle, will be honored during the ceremony on behalf of the crew.

The community is invited to attend the drill, which is free and open to the public. Bleachers are available and are located in front of Hamilton Hall with a view of the Washington Parade Field where the ceremony takes place.

Regimental reviews are part of military traditions and ceremonies which serve to develop poise, confidence, speaking skills, teamwork and leadership. Moreover, it provides a valuable means of recognizing military heritage and pride in the Coast Guard.

Media is invited to attend the review. Photographs are encouraged.

For more information, contact the public affairs office at (860) 444-8270.

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is one of the country's best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company featured the institution in the new 2012 edition of its annual college guide.

 According to the publication, the Academy received top-10 rankings in the following categories: most available professors, low drug use and best school administration.  Of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges, only about 15 percent are profiled in The Princeton Review's flagship college guide which includes detailed profiles with rating scores in eight categories.

 The profiles are entirely based on The Princeton Review's survey of 122,000 students (about 325 per campus on average) attending the colleges in the book and not on the organization’s opinion of the schools.  Topics range from assessments of their professors to opinions about their financial aid and campus food. 

WHO:  31 Science teachers from 11 different states and Puerto Rico to participate in the Coast Guard Academy STEM program

WHAT:  Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century Program

WHEN: Monday-Friday, July 11-15, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

WHERE: Coast Guard Academy, Smith Hall

The Academy will be bringing 31 Science teachers from across the country to our New London, Conn., campus July 11-15 to participate in the Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century Program, which includes the Academy Robotics on the Water project.

The Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century Program was developed to interest inner-city and underrepresented high school students in pursuing education and careers in STEM. The program will demonstrate the educational value of STEM activities for students, teachers and mentors, through Project-Based Learning combined with professional and life skills necessary for them to compete in college and in their careers. This population has been traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields of study. Professional and life skills include teamwork, understanding human behavior using the DISC Behavioral Model, personal accountability and technical writing.

AROW is an immersive Science, Technology, Engineering and Math oriented game designed to expose middle and high school students, and their teachers, to the Coast Guard Academy. The competition brings teams of people together to design and build radio-controlled floating robots that compete in a water filled arena. During competition, teams have four minutes to earn as many points possible as they pilot their robotic craft through a variety of Coast Guard mission oriented tasks. To be successful, groups must be strategic, think critically and demonstrate superb teamwork.

Another key component of AROW is cadet interaction. A cadet mentor is assigned to each team to provide technical assistance in the building of the robots. They also manage the group dynamics to ensure teams function effectively. Cadets have reported that this mentor role was one of the most challenging and rewarding leadership experiences they encountered while at the academy.

The Summer Teachers Workshop is a partnership between the Connecticut College of Technology and its Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The aim of the workshop is to instruct high school teachers and community college instructors on how to integrate the methodologies and activities developed by the Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century Team in their classrooms.

MEDIA NOTE:  Media interested in attending the event should contact the CGA Public Affairs Office at (860) 444-8270. AROW competition is scheduled for Thursday, July 14.

NEW LONDON, Conn. - For the third year in a row, the United States Coast Guard Academy was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Launched in 2006, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll annually recognizes institutions of higher education for their commitment to and achievement in community service. The Corporation for National and Community Service oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education.

This year, more than 600 colleges and universities were recognized for exemplary, innovative, and effective community service programs. CNCS Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

As Coast Guard Academy cadets prepare to serve their country, they also serve the local community. The Corps of Cadets Community Service Program provides cadets with an opportunity to interact with people outside of the academy community. Each cadet is required to complete a total of 8 service hours per semester, but many exceed that requirement.

In the 2010 Fall and 2011 Spring semester, the corps completed more than 18,176 hours of community service. Coast Guard Academy cadets volunteered 5,697 hours in local schools during the 2011 Spring semester, of which 62% of those hours were spent in New London Schools mentoring, tutoring in the classroom and volunteering in physical education classes.

Key CGA community service projects include: Partnership in Education; Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentor program; CGA Boxing Club's Gloves not Guns program; CGA Wrestling Team “Off the streets and on the mats” program; Breakfast for the Needy; and various park and beach cleanups throughout the year. 

The organizations the cadet community service program supported include: New London School System; Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southeastern CT; First Congregational Church; New London Main Street; New London Recreation Department; New London Salvation Army; New London Homeless Hospitality Center; Whaling City Boxing/Heavy Hitters; Hospice of Southeastern CT; Special Olympics; Southeastern CT Youth Hockey; and Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts of America.