FOXBOROUGH, Mass., (May 7, 2012) - Over the past four months, more than 115 middle school students from Boys & Girls Clubs throughout New England worked with Raytheon mentors to prepare for this year's "Science of Sports" Science Fair, presented by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the New England Patriots. Yesterday, May 6, 23 teams hailing from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island gathered at Gillette Stadium to present their projects that test the science and math behind their favorite sports and to vie for college scholarships.
The middle school students spanned 17 communities and were mentored by 65 Raytheon employee volunteers who made weekly visits to the Boys & Girls Club locations in Brockton, Charlestown, Dorchester, Framingham, Hanscom, Hudson, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Nashua, Newport, Pawtucket, Salem, Roxbury, Stoneham, Waltham and Woburn to help imagine and execute projects that explore math and science through the lens of sports. The competing teams presented their final projects to a panel of executive judges including Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson, The Kraft Group Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and Patriots running back Danny Woodhead. Each member of the top three winning teams received a $1,000 (Grand Prize), $750 (Second Place) or $500 (Third Place) scholarship. In addition, three teams were named winners of a science activity, each winning a special visit to 2012 Patriots training camp.
"This is the fourth year that we have hosted the 'Science of Sports' Science Fair with Raytheon and every year it has grown bigger and better. Once again, I was amazed at the creativity of their projects," said Kraft. "Raytheon continues to be one of the most innovative companies in the world and shares our philanthropic vision of giving back through volunteerism and mentoring youth. Every year, Bill Swanson provides dozens of Raytheon volunteer mentors that meet with children at Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the region. For the past five months, the mentors have been teaching valuable lessons about science and teamwork, while linking the importance of education with fun and real-life applications. It was clear each team took pride in their projects and learned a lot through the mentoring process. I would like to congratulate all of the participants in this year's science fair. They are all winners. I also want to thank the many Raytheon volunteer mentors. Each year, it is exciting to see this program inspire these young people. I hope many of them will continue to accomplish great things through math and science in the future."
"I want to congratulate all of the students, and of course the winners, on some truly exceptional science projects," said Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson. "We believe that exploring the connections between science and sports will help increase interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). There are great opportunities in STEM. I want to extend a special thank you to the coaches, parents and Raytheon mentors for their contributions in making the fair a success. We are also fortunate to have such committed partners as Robert Kraft and the Kraft family for whom giving back to the community is a way of life."
"Science of Sports" Science Fair is born from Raytheon's signature MathMovesU program, an innovative initiative designed to engage students in math and science by making the connection between mathand students passions and interests to illustrate the breadth of math-based career possibilities. The science fair program expands the partnership between Raytheon and the New England Patriots, who opened The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon in September 2008. Raytheon supports The Hall's education program, which benefits visiting school groups, and sponsors the "In the Numbers" exhibit at The Hall, an interactive trivia game that connects math and science with the fundamentals of football to engage students.
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 at @MathMovesU.
About Raytheon Company
Raytheon Company, with 2011 sales of $25 billion and 71,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 90 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 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 at @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 ccc.
The First Place winners of the "Science of Sports" Science Fair are "Las Ultimate Twirlers" from the Lawrence, Mass. club. Each student will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship:
Team Members:
* Jailene Garcia
* Latiny Ke
* Arelese Silva
* Rosa Reinoso
Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:
* Stephanie Jimenez
* Arthur Ozaki
* Jeanne Coxgrove
Project Question: In gymnastics, how does body positioning/center of mass affect the speed of rotation when performing a giant around the high bar?
The Second Place winners of the "Science of Sports" Science Fair are "Woodheads" from the Leominster, Mass. club. Each student will be awarded a $750 scholarship:
Team Members:
* Kyle Klimowicz
* Trey Kieves
* Hunter Sergey
* Enrique Marquez
* Trevor Leger
* Leo Gonzalez
Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:
* Richard Stephens
* Bill Marksteiner
* Jonathan Hampton
Project Question: Which type of wood makes the best baseball bat?
The Third Place winners of the "Science of Sports" Science Fair are "Helmet Testers" from the Newport, RI club. Each student will be awarded a $500 scholarship:
Team Members:
* Caleb Dugan
* Erron Esquerre
* Joanna Groomes
* Tyler Welch
* Hannah Medeiros
Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:
* Kevin Bruff
* Miguel Trezvant
Project Question: How does football helmet design impact an injury?
