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Haverhill High School’s newly inaugurated engineering and manufacturing program is helping to close the gap between students’ career technical education needs and the advanced skills modern manufacturers require.
Students, faculty and private sector employers were among those celebrating the ribbon cutting last week of the new program that relies on Project Lead The Way’s curriculum. Lawrence-based New Balance Athletics Vice President Kevin McCoy told those gathered “this is a ridiculously important moment in time for Haverhill High School.”
“We have engineering positions in my organization that are manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering. We’ve now starting to get into data. Any time you start looking at robotics, you need find ways that you’re able to take what that robot tells you and put it into place, synthesize that data, know what it means,” he explained.
McCoy said he is, what is known in his sector as, a “shoe dog.” That is, someone who knows how to take a picture and turn it into a shoe. His business relies on today’s students to ensure the success of five—and soon to be six—factories in New England. Those are located in Methuen, Lawrence, three in Maine and soon in Londonderry, N.H.
Haverhill Public Schools Supervisor of Career Technical Education Victoria Kelley said the program would not have been possible without a series of grants over the years, ranging from about $300,000 in seed money to this year’s more than $1 million for equipment, supplies, training and teaching materials.
Engineering/Manufacturing Lead Teacher Melissa Hamilton-Dalphin walked visitors through students’ progression from learning about computer-aided design and 3D prototypes as freshmen; civil and mechanical engineering, building robots and more as sophomores; into electronics, building circuits and learning logic as juniors; and onto building and using robotic arms that can handle weights that human can’t.
Ava Moore, one of the seniors, demonstrated the use of a robot and discussed how progressive classwork came together. “I was able to apply what I learned over the past four years to the project and really combine everything.”
Junior Khoi Nguyen Le discussed the comradery he has experienced.
“Every day I walk into school, I feel like there is someone I can be inspired by, someone I can work along with a really amazing project or someone I can just talk to about life,” he said.
Senior Lucia Antonelli said she has wanted to be an engineer for as long as she can remember after learning of her father’s work. “I’ve taken something I’ve been interested in my whole life and it’s become so much more creative and adaptive and beautiful. That’s so amazing to me.”
Kelley also credited Kevin Higginbottom, interim principal at John Greenleaf Whittier School; Engineering/Manufacturing Teacher Sujan Niraula and Interim Supervisor of Science and Technology and Dean Grace McIntyre for their roles in designing and implementing the program.
McIntyre explained major benefits for students include mastering industry-level skills; earning industry credentials; leaving high school either career ready, college ready or both; and giving them the opportunities to earn livable wages.
Among those taking part in the ceremonial ribbon cutting were Engineering/Manufacturing Lead Teacher Melissa Hamilton-Dalphin, Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, Superintendent Margaret Marotta and Interim Supervisor of Science and Technology and Dean Grace McIntyre. (WHAV News photograph.)