Westfield High School Principal Jonathan B. Carter
WESTFIELD – Monday evening saw first-year Westfield High School Principal Jonathan Carter step to the podium at the Westfield School Committee meeting and announce to thunderous applause that his school would be the recipient of a collection of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education grants totaling $545,352.53 for the school year 2014, with another $105,000 pending.
The grants were obtained through the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative (MMSI) and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, with the MMSI funding totaling in $445,916.53 to be implemented over the next three years.
The funds will go toward continuing to improve the institution’s Advanced Placement programs, along with professional development for WHS teachers.
The Mass. Life Sciences Center grant of $99,436 will arrive during the 2015 school year and was given to Carter last Friday at Western New England University in Springfield.
Carter stood before the school committee and also announced that his institution, the second largest in western Massachusetts, expects to acquire additional STEM-related competitive grant awards during this current school year, through the National Science Foundation, which will go toward implementing the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Global STEM Classroom program and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation.
Pending approval, the National Science Foundation’s grant will bring in $100,000 over the next three years, while the Mass. Biotechnology Education Foundation will award the school $5,000 as the BioTeach Innovative School of the Year, also pending approval.
The acquisition of these latter two awards would bring the total haul to $650,352.53 in STEM-related competitive grant awards for the 2014 school year.
“Eighty percent of the jobs in our region in 21st century are going to require a strong foundation in STEM education,” said Carter. “We think that this very generous donation tells us that these folks are serious about making a sizeable investment in Westfield.”
John Smolenski, director of the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative, made a presentation highlighting goals of his organization for WHS and stressing the importance of AP courses.
“This is what counts in college admissions. This is what the Professional Association of College Admissions Counselors, what they think is important,” Smolenski said. “The number one thing is the courses you take in high school — the more rigorous, the better.”
After the committee broke into executive session, Carter was able to speak on what the funding will mean for the STEM programs on Montgomery Road.
“It’s huge. It’s epic.” Carter said. “I told you at the beginning of the year, ‘just wait, we’ve got plans’.”
Carter stated that 13 other schools around the Commonwealth received grants from MMSI, but that the funds received by WHS came as no surprise to him.
“For a school our size, this is a lot of money,” he said. “Per capita, it’s right on par with where we expect to be to grow the program. We’re the second biggest high school in western Mass. after Springfield Central.”
“We’re excited simply because this is going to act as seed money to lay our foundation for how we plan to move forward in developing STEM education,” he said.
