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FOXBOROUGH, MA** – Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the New England Patriots celebrated the sixth annual "Science of Sports" Science Fair at Gillette Stadium yesterday, awarding scholarships to the participants of the three teams that best demonstrate the principles of math and science in sports: Leominster, Mass., Hudson, Mass., and Salem, Mass. Since 2009, Raytheon and the Patriots have partnered to present this science fair that encourages Boys and Girls Club members from across New England to imagine and execute projects that explore math and science as they relate to the sports they love.
More than 150 middle school students participated on the 30 teams, representing Boys and Girls Clubs from 21 communities across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The five-month-long program was supported by 90 Raytheon employee mentors. The teams competed to present their projects to a panel of executive judges including Raytheon Chairman William H. Swanson, The Kraft Group Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, and Patriots wide receiver and special teams captain Matthew Slater.
Each member of the top three winning teams earned a $1,000 (Grand Prize), $750 (Second Place) or $500 (Third Place) scholarship provided by Raytheon and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. The scholarships can be used for "camperships" applied to a science, technology, engineering or math-related summer camp or to their freshman year in postsecondary school.
"I love the 'Science of Sports' science fair," said New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "I am always amazed by the creativity of the projects. The partnership with Raytheon on this project has been tremendous over the past six years. The Raytheon mentors do such a great job of making science fun for these Boys and Girls Club students and the children take such pride in their projects. Encouraging students to pursue challenging academic disciplines, especially in math and sciences, is an investment that will continue to pay dividends for generations to come. I applaud the commitment that Bill Swanson and his team of volunteers at Raytheon continue to make to this wonderful program."
"The New England Patriots and the Kraft family share Raytheon's commitment and passion for improving math and science education in the community," said William H. Swanson, Chairman of Raytheon Company. "With the support of volunteers and focused resources, we can make a difference by inspiring a new generation of students to make connections between the fundamentals of math and science and innovation. The 'Science of Sports' appeal is evident in its growth over the past six years – the program has tripled in size as more and more students from Boys and Girls Clubs across the state see math and science through the lens of the excitement of sports."
The program's success at engaging middle school students in science and math was highlighted by the White House earlier this week at the President's 4th annual White House Science Fair. The seven-member 2013 Science of Sports team from Hudson, Mass. Boys & Girls Club of MetroWest – represented by Brooke Bohn, Daisuaghn Bass and Gerard McManus – had the opportunity to demonstrate the science and math behind the accuracy and precision of the perfect basketball shot to President Obama.
The "Science of Sports" Science Fair program is part of Raytheon's MathMovesU® program designed to increase students' interest in math and science education. The science fair is a key component of the partnership between Raytheon and the New England Patriots initiated in September 2008 with the opening of The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon. Interactive exhibits in The Hall are designed to showcase how math and science are essential to the fundamentals of football. The Hall's education program aligns with the goal of inspiring an appreciation for science, technology, engineering and mathematics for visiting school groups.
Teams from Boys & Girls Club locations in the following communities participated in the 2014 "Science of Sports" Science Fair: Billerica Mass., Charlestown, Mass., Dorchester, Mass., Fall River, Mass, Hudson, Mass., Lawrence, Mass., Leominster, Mass., Lowell, Mass., Marlborough, Mass., Marshfield, Mass., Maynard, Mass., Nashua, N.H., Pawtucket, R.I., Roxbury, Mass., Salem, Mass., Somerville, Mass., Stoneham, Mass., Watertown, Mass., Woburn, Mass. and Worcester, Mass.
About MathMovesU
Raytheon's MathMovesU® program is an initiative committed to increasing middle and elementary school students' interest in math and science education by engaging them in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of MathMovesU include the traveling interactive experience MathAlive!™; Raytheon's Sum of all Thrills™ experience at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, which showcases math in action as students design and experience their own thrill ride using math fundamentals; the "In the Numbers" game, a partnership with the New England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon; the company's ongoing sponsorship of the MATHCOUNTS® National Competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant program. Follow MathMovesU and other Raytheon community outreach programs on Facebook and on Twitter @MathMovesU.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.
About the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation is the non-profit organization established by the Kraft family in 1994 to support charitable and philanthropic agencies throughout New England. This support comes in the form of direct grants and the donation of signed memorabilia to charitable causes, and from Patriots players who offer their direct support by appearing at charity functions throughout the year. The Foundation's primary goal is to support programs that aid the youth and families of the New England region by assisting programs that foster cultural diversity, education, family and health. The Foundation has taken special interest in youth programs that encourage education, creativity and development of character. For more information, please visit www.patriots.com/community.
The Grand Prize winners of the "Science of Sports" Science Fair are the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster. Each student will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship:
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Team Members:*
- Ashlee Aldana
- Vinny Diaz
- Leo Gonzalez
- Abigail Kirrane
- Thomas Kirrane
- Tino Makwasha
- Veronica Scott *
Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:*
- LaQuincy Dunn
- Steven Krystofik Project Hypothesis: How can science improve the prosthetic leg to restore or improve an athlete's ability to participate in running-based sports?
The Second Place winners of the "Science of Sports" Science Fair are Hudson – 2 from the Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest. Each student will be awarded a $750 scholarship:
Team Members:*
- Anna Bohn
- Marissa Cecca
- Panashe Dowa
- Brianna Lento
- Josslyn Rego *
Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:*
- Margaret Anspach
- Sara Lorene Makoweic
- Mike Rugg Project Hypothesis: There are a lot of variables in kicking a football – angle of football in stand, which part of the foot, where the foot hits the football, etc. It's hard to know the best way to do it to get the football to go where you want it to go.
The Third Place winners of the "Science of Sports" Science Fair are the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem. Each student will be awarded a $500 scholarship:
Team Members:*
- Ed Graziano
- David Gendron
- Mike Iyoe
- Niko Karantonis
- Nathan Pettengill *
Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:*
- Ken Blazich
- John Flynn
- Lisa Perkins Project Hypothesis: Design safer race car/NASCAR walls with different materials to absorb impact energy and increase safety.
