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Boston Public Schools partner with i2 Learning, City of Boston, MIT and MathWorks to bring innovative hands-on STEM learning experiences to middle school classrooms
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Boston, MA - October 3, 2016 - Boston Public Schools Superintendent Tommy Chang joined Mayor Martin J. Walsh, School Committee Chairperson Michael O'Neill, and i2 Learning Founder Ethan Berman in kicking off STEM Week at the Perry K-8 School in South Boston.
"Our country's future engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs are sitting right here in our Boston Public Schools' classrooms," said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "Boston STEM Week showcases the best of our city's education, business and nonprofit communities. We know that our BPS students can succeed at anything they set their minds to, and this week is an opportunity to showcase STEM opportunities to middle school students."
This week, October 3-7, more than 6,500 sixth, seventh and eighth grade students from 36 Boston middle schools will be transformed into scientists and engineers as they are introduced to the engineering design process and use hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum as part of the first-ever, week-long Boston STEM Week.
"It is important that we are consistently providing our students with access to STEM education," said School Committee Chairperson Michael O'Neill. "When our students are thinking critically and are maximizing their academic growth, our district is excelling. On behalf of the School Committee, I want to thank everyone who makes Boston STEM Week possible."
Students and teachers will work together to explore space, build robots, and practice surgical techniques leveraging active learning in STEM to solve real-world problems that encourage hands-on experimentation, critical thinking and collaboration.
"Boston STEM Week is more than just a singular event; it is a catalyst for change," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Tommy Chang. "This program will have a long-term impact on the city, starting with teacher development and continuing through to further develop critical thinking skills and confidence over the course of the week. I am excited that Boston is a pioneer in this movement that will hopefully expand beyond our city walls."
The five-day program will replace students' regular classes with an immersive curriculum developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), i2 Learning and other leading STEM organizations that includes investigations drawn from many subject areas. Students will be exposed to the engineering design process in hands-on STEM courses that develop students' 21st century skills such as interdisciplinary problem solving, perseverance and collaboration. Boston STEM Week curriculum also meets many of the Massachusetts Science, Technology & Engineering standards and Common Core Mathematics and English Language Arts standards.
"MIT believes it is essential to spark students' curiosity, creativity and motivation early on," said Sanjay Sarma, vice president for open learning, MIT. "We are excited to bring a creative, challenging and fun approach to practicing these skills to Boston STEM Week students and teachers."
Boston STEM Week challenges the traditional middle school structure and encourages students to use their heads, hands and the people around them to make connections and succeed in an environment similar to that of college or the workforce. Incorporating hands-on activities in STEM is considered best practice according to the National Science Teachers Association Board[1] and recent student scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress justify this[2].
An independent evaluation of i2 Learning programs during the 2015-16 school year revealed students who participated exhibited significant increases in engagement in STEM, along with a stronger desire to learn engineering[3]. These indicators are especially important during the middle school years, when interest and intention to pursue STEM tends to decline.
"Programs like Boston STEM Week are vital to building the pipeline of technology professionals that are so desperately needed in the workforce," said Jack Little, CEO of MathWorks. "This demand is present in every sector of business in today's technology economy, and feeding that pipeline begins at the elementary and middle school levels."
Boston STEM Week is funded through foundation and corporate support and is provided at no cost to Boston Public Schools. The week-long program was developed by i2 Learning in collaboration with lead sponsor MathWorks, curriculum partner MIT, program sponsors Vertex, Lynch Foundation and Boston Foundation.
"As part of our long-standing partnership with Boston Public Schools, we're thrilled to support programs like Boston STEM Week that help prepare students for future success and equip them with the skills needed to become the next generation of STEM leaders," said Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, Chairman, President and CEO of Vertex.
In addition to the innovative curriculum and learning approach, volunteers from STEM corporations will visit the classrooms as part of Boston STEM Week, giving students a view into career pathways in STEM. Boston STEM Week will culminate with a student-led showcase at each school, where students will present their work to their families, friends and communities.
School administrators interested in bringing STEM Week to your school, and corporations and foundations interested in getting involved, connect here. For a full list of participating schools, curriculum courses and more, please visit BostonSTEMWeek.org and follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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