Stonington ― Students returned to school Tuesday to two new principals, programs that will introduce students to careers in the trades and an opportunity to interact with young women in Zambia.

Former Assistant Superintendent Mary Anne Butler has taken the helm as the district’s new superintendent, and former middle school principal Timothy Smith is the new assistant superintendent.

The high school has a new principal in Alicia Dawe, and a new assistant principal in Manuel MacDonald, who had been the school’s interdisciplinary coordinator and a physical education teacher.

At the middle school, Tina Eisenbeis filled the assistant principal position left vacant when Deanna Brucoli was named the school’s new principal.

Despite the adminstrative changes, Butler focused on the opportunities the new school year will bring for students.

A $10,000 grant from the Home Builders Institute will fund a new program for 15 high school students to introduce them to trade careers. Funding will pay for professional development for two teachers, the curriculum, and costs associated with testing for students.

“Stonington High School is the first high school in the state of Connecticut to have the Home Builders Institute pre-credentialing apprenticeship program for the construction trades,” Butler said, adding, “We keep talking about diversity, equity and inclusion, and in my mind, programming also needs to be inclusive and have different pathways for kids.”

Successful completion of the program, which includes instruction in tools and construction materials, construction mathematics, workplace safety and employment opportunities, will earn each student 150 hours towards an apprenticeship in one of the trade fields.

Meanwhile, a grant from Electric Boat will provide elementary students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics classes an introduction to manufacturing trades.

“It won’t be a whole year or a whole half year; it’ll be a couple lessons,” Butler said.

The program intends to show younger students a wide variety of career opportunities available to them “rather than waiting until they’re in high school, so they understand what manufacturing is, because, if you don’t see things as a kid, you don‘t know what those opportunities are all about.”

Stonington High School is also collaborating with Nampundwe Secondary School in Zambia to develop leadership skills in young women.

Seven interns—juniors and seniors—will meet with their counterparts in Zambia via video conference throughout the year. The program will include female speakers from a variety of fields sharing their experiences on topics such as self-advocacy, women in leadership in STEM fields, politics, and business and achieving work-life balance.

In conjunction with Griswold Public Schools, educators here are planning for the jobs of the future and the education they will require.

“We already know there are jobs we can’t even imagine that they’re going to have, so what kinds of skills—critical thinking skills, but also soft skills—what kinds of things can we do to ready those future graduates so that they are all set to face those new vocations and new opportunities,” said Butler.