Search Contact Us MOS Home
Main Menu Search
  • U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III Engineers with Massachusetts Students

U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III Engineers with Massachusetts Students

Friday, July 17, 2015

In May, Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III -- a leading voice on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Washington, DC, and Massachusetts -- visited high school students at the Clearway School in West Newton, Mass. (Photo right). The Congressman joined teacher Becky Holloway and her students for a hands-on lesson in Engineering the Future® (EtF), a program developed by the National Center of Technological Literacy® (NCTL®) at the Museum of Science, Boston.

Explaining the importance of STEM programs like Engineering the Future, Kennedy said, "If we want to make sure that students across the country have access to the skills and tools they need to maximize their own potential and compete in the marketplace, schools must have access to programs like this one." When minorities and women don't have access, he added, we have both a "moral" and "economic" responsibility to make sure that "all our talent is on the field."

Taking on the role of environmental engineers, Rep. Kennedy and students investigated resistance in pipes by experimenting with various drinking straws. The Congressman, students, and Holloway discussed their results as a group. Engineers use such knowledge to design pipe systems for fluids. A Boston Herald photographer covered the visit.

The standards-based curriculum engages high school students in hands-on engineering design and building challenges reflecting real engineering problems. The course offers a foundation in physics and an opportunity to explore the social, historical, and environmental contexts of technologies. Unlike other high school engineering programs, EtF is not only for technical students, but for everyone.

The Clearway School is a private alternative school providing specialized instruction for students in grades 6-12.