FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – One month remains to nominate a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) teacher for The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon's Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year.
Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group, which owns and operates The Hall at Patriot Place, announced the plan to honor a STEM teacher at the Massachusetts STEM Summit at Gillette Stadium last October. "No one knows better than our friends at Raytheon how important STEM education is to the future of this region and the country," said Kraft. "We want to do our part to foster a new generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians."
The STEM Teacher of the Year Program will recognize a Massachusetts STEM teacher who is making significant contributions to education by providing a $5,000 grant to the teacher's school to be used for STEM education, as well as by honoring the teacher at The Hall at Patriot Place and in a pregame ceremony at a 2013 New England Patriots game.
"I've often heard Mr. Kraft speak of his affinity for teachers, and, with his direction, we have implemented a very real and relevant STEM program here at The Hall," said executive director Bryan Morry. "Together with our partner, Raytheon, we have set out to impact students and help make them aware that STEM is a part of so many parts of their life, including many of the things they enjoy most. In our case, we use football and sports-related elements as part of hands-on modules that engage students in fun STEM activities."
All full-time, active and certified K-12 classroom STEM teachers in a state-accredited Massachusetts public or private school are eligible for STEM Teacher of the Year. Nominations must be submitted by someone with direct knowledge of the teacher's impact in his or her school. The nomination deadline is February 15, 2013. A nomination form is available for download at www.thehallatpatriotplace.com and can be submitted by mail or e-mail. A committee comprised of STEM professionals and staff from The Hall, the Patriots and Raytheon will select five finalists. The finalists will be interviewed individually by the committee, after which the committee will select the STEM Teacher of the Year.
Since opening in 2008, The Hall has hosted more than 60,000 students on field trips through its education program. In 2011 alone, The Hall had 16,000 field trip visits.
"The feedback from educators has been spectacular. But while we try to do our part, we recognize that it's teachers that have daily contact with our young people and their classroom skills have the biggest impact on young minds outside of their home," said Morry. "We want to recognize excellence in that area and we are excited to do so through The Hall's new Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year program."
