Rebecca Pilver

"Connecticut: The Contribution State" is Pilver's three-part winning program that focuses on the past, present and future of the state of Connecticut. Fourth graders in Willington and Chaplin, Conn. will transform into researchers, documentary producers and historians as they explore the legacy behind contributions made by Connecticut's own residents. Findings will be shared through multimedia projects and published on a wiki, a Website that is a collaboration of multiple sites. Pilver hopes to introduce students to role models other than celebrities to learn that the character of a person is just as important as his or her contribution. The goal of the project is to help mold students into productive and active citizens by making the past purposeful for the future. Pilver is a fourth-grade teacher and lives in Willington.