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<font color="#000000"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="line-height: 125%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt">WEST HARTFORD, Conn.</span></b><span style="line-height: 125%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt"> – The University of Hartford Department of Athletics will host an educational day for local elementary, middle and high school students on Wednesday, January 9, centered around the men’s basketball game against the University of Maine Black Bears at 12 p.m.</span></font></p>
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<span style="line-height: 125%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt"><font color="#000000">Approximately 1,500 students are expected to attend the game and participate in the day’s activities. </font></span></p>
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<span style="line-height: 125%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt"><font color="#000000">The game will feature a special curriculum for the students in attendance. Created by the Connecticut General Assembly, the interactive curriculum is designed to reinforce principle pertaining to an individual’s empathy, character, hope and opportunity (ECHO).</font></span></p>
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<span style="line-height: 125%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt"><font color="#000000">Prior to the game, a Career in Sports seminar will educate secondary school students about potential career paths in athletics. The seminar will feature five speakers including Patricia Meiser (University of Hartford Director of Athletics),
Justin Blood (Head Coach of Hartford Baseball), John Holt (WFSB Sports Reporter),
Laurie Weinstein (Director of Compliance at Hartford) and Caitlin Collazo (Assistant Athletic Trainer at Hartford. </font></span></p>
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<span style="line-height: 125%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt"><font color="#000000">Additionally, tours of the University of Hartford campus will be available to interested schools.</font></span></p>
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<span style="line-height: 125%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt"><font color="#000000">A second educational day featuring the in-game ECHO curriculum will center on the Hartford women’s basketball game against the UMBC Retrievers Wednesday, January 16, at 12 p.m.<br />
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For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact the Malcolm and Brenda Berman Athletics Ticket Office at 860-768-HAWK.</font></span></p>