Students from Webster Middle School joined peers from across Massachusetts on May 8 at the One8 Applied Learning Student Showcase, held at the TRACK at new balance in Boston. The event brought together students in grades 4-12 to present Applied Learning work to more than 500 industry professionals who provided real-time feedback.
“This showcase has become a game changer in our students’ lives. The showcase provides them connections to professionals, as well as other students. The students who excel in this showcase see their lives change in so many ways, including career exploration, confidence building, and acceptance to prestigious programs,” said Kate Berti, STEM Teacher at Webster Middle School.
Webster Middle School was represented by student teams from both the Medical and Engineering Pathways of Project Lead the Way. Over the course of the year, these students tackled real-world challenges, from designing their own experiments in grade 5 to building robots for real clients in grade 8 and at the Applied Learning Student Showcase, they had the chance to share what they built and learned with professionals working in related fields.
“Creative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems is what Massachusetts does best. The One8 Foundation’s Applied Learning Student Showcase is shining a light on how our students are solving real world challenges and building their future success,” said Gov. Maura Healey.
“We’re thankful for the educators and the industry experts who supported this year’s showcase, and we’re thrilled that so many students from school districts across the state were able to take part in this incredible program.”
“The One8 Foundation’s Applied Learning Student Showcase encourages students of different ages, from different cities and towns, with varied interests to explore creative ways to solve real world problems,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “Across our state, we want our students to use what they’re learning in the classroom and apply it to the issues that matter to them most. That’s why we’re proud to support the Student Showcase that empowers young people to turn their ideas into meaningful solutions and make a lasting impact in their communities.”
“I’ve witnessed Applied Learning at multiple school districts where students are not just learning content, but using it in authentic ways,” said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. “One8’s Applied Learning Showcase was an opportunity to see how students across Massachusetts are benefitting from rigorous learning that is relevant, engaging, and connected to the world beyond the classroom.”
“What we saw Friday is what Applied Learning is all about: students wrestling with real-world, meaningful problems, working in teams, then presenting it to professionals who take them seriously and offer ideas to make the work even stronger. That combinationof rigor and relevance is rare. We think every student in the state should have access to it,” said Joanna Jacobson, President of the One8 Foundation.
The Student Showcase is an annual event for Applied Learning programs across Massachusetts, giving students an authentic audience for the project- and inquiry-based work they do in the classroom. Industry volunteers engaged teams in conversation about their process, their products, and the tools they used. Drawn from fields including engineering, medicine, finance, law, design, computer science, and public policy, industry volunteers circulated among student tables – asking questions and offering both verbal and written feedback.
The event is organized by One8 Foundation’s Applied Learning Hub, which supports schools across the state focused on Applied Learning. Among the recognized teams, Webster Middle School’s Kayliana Rivera, Dannyelle Powers, Dahliana Lopez, and Alexis Knowles were selected as a Project of Distinction in Grade 5 for their project How Springs Compress in Kathy Gardner’s STEM Class. Mia L’Heureux, Brayden Farraher, Caleb Millett, and Shane Martin were selected as a Project of Distinction in Grade 8 from Kate Berti’s STEM Class for their Therapy Robot for Rosey the Kitten, a real kitten who recently had hip surgery.
“The Boston Showcase has become a pinnacle of success for our students at the Middle School level. They work hard to be invited to this event all year by demonstrating collaboration, problem solving and perseverance,” said Berti.
“I liked problem solving with my group for something real,” said Brayden Farraher, an eighth grader at Webster Middle School, whose group originally built a small treadmill to rehab Rosey the Kitten, only to find out from professionals that it was not appropriate for her injury status. His team worked together to completely redesign the therapeutic toy for low-mobility play.
About One8 & Applied Learning - The One8 Foundation is committed to identifying and funding proven Applied Learning programs that inspire students with innovative, engaging ways to approach core and elective subject matter. The One8 Applied Learning Hub, an implementation team within One8, helps Massachusetts schools get the most out of Applied Learning programs by providing implementation support, educator community programming, and student opportunities that help bring learning to life. Learn more at www.one8AppliedLearningHub.org.
