20 Years of Family STEM Night
Twenty years ago, parents of Fenway students were curious about the math curriculum and wanted to learn more about how they could support their children. In response, the faculty invited parents for a potluck dinner at the school to learn about what students were being taught in their classrooms. As time went on, it became an exhibition, where students shared the work themselves. Today, the event continues (with many teachers who have attended for more than 15 years), showcasing a Fenway innovation that has been tried, tested, and still true. What started as “Fenway Family Math Night” has since expanded to include STEM, highlighting the school's science, technology, and engineering opportunities as well.
A staple of Fenway for the past 20 years has been Family Math Night (now Family STEM night to include Science, Technology, and Engineering). This image is from the 2003 Annual Report.
Fenway students from all grade levels showcased concepts from pre-calculus to physics. Guest speakers from Wentworth Institute of Technology and MIT shared with students and families opportunities for students to partake in engineering and math programming and Linda Ruiz Davenport, Director of K-12 Mathematics for Boston Public Schools, gave an overview of the new MCAS exam format which will debut this spring. Dinner was generously donated by Fenway alumnus Brian Chavez ‘07, owner of Antonio’s Hi-Fi Pizza in Dorchester.
To close out “STEM Week” celebrations, Crossroads 11 students, who partner with the Museum of Science, showcased some of their work and discussed the importance of science and technology education with the President of the Museum of Science, Ioannis Miaoulis, and Massachusetts Secretary of Education James Peyser during his visit to the museum.
Crossroads 11 students Anthony and Sarah discussed STEM with the President of the Museum of Science, Ioannis Miaoulis, and the Massachusetts Secretary of Education, James Peyser.