- Executive Office of Education
Media Contact
Jason Law, Press Secretary and Events Coordinator
CLARKSBURG — Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler was in Western Massachusetts today as part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s STEM Week. Taking place from October 21–25, 2024, STEM Week highlights the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers, reinforcing the message that STEM learning can start at any age and plays a crucial role in shaping the future workforce of the state.
“It is great to be traveling across Massachusetts this week in celebration of STEM week and to be in Western Mass today to learn from students how they are engaging in STEM and applying those skills and knowledge to real world problems,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “I congratulate McCann Technical on their new HVAC lab that will address a real workforce need in the community and provide students with the tools and education to be successful in this high-needs field. It was also great to visit Clarksburg Elementary School to see how students are not only learning about a local environment problem but working with community leaders to develop solutions.”
Secretary Tutwiler visited Clarksburg Elementary School with Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Deputy Director of Climate Equity and Environmental Justice Oleander Stone and other EEA colleagues to see the school’s Flying Cloud curriculum work in action.
As part of Clarksburg’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness project, which is working to better understand the flooding in their community and options for increasing resilience to it, Flying Cloud developed and implemented a curriculum for the 6th grade class at Clarksburg Elementary School to help students learn to read the landscape around them. Lessons included engaging with the plant communities and topography surrounding their school to create an original field guide of the local biome that captures which plants are thriving and which are threatened by recent flooding. Students also learned directly from the professional engineers working on the flooding problem to come up with innovative solutions and voted on the preferred solution. Further, the students presented their work at a public showcase.
“Creating a curriculum that helps middle school students understand climate resilience and their hometown landscapes is essential for inspiring a new generation,” said Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program Director Kara Runsten. “Hearing about what they’ve learned and seeing their projects fuels their passion and builds a love for the environment. We are proud to support these initiatives because they educate young minds and prepare future stewards of our planet, who will tackle environmental challenges.”
“Our school values connecting real-world issues to our lessons, and nothing inspires me more than seeing our students engage with their environment,” said Clarksburg Middle School Principal Sandra Cote. “Their recent project on climate change, in which they documented the impact of flooding on both thriving and threatened plants, showcases not only their curiosity but also their commitment to stewardship. I am incredibly proud of their efforts and excited to see how we can build on this project to foster even more learning opportunities.”
“This project is a model of authentic, hands-on learning and the Clarksburg students have shown up as curious learners, creative thinkers, and problem-solvers,” said Flying Cloud Institute Executive Director Maria Rundle. “They are engaged with their town and understand how flooding and climate change are making an impact on the landscape. Now they are able to think like engineers and become part of the solution! We have loved working with BRPC and Clarksburg students and residents on this project.”
Secretary Tutwiler also visited McCann Technical High School in North Adams to celebrate its new HVAC lab that was supported by a $3.1 million Skills Capital equipment grant. In addition to the HVAC lab, the Secretary toured the advance manufacturing, metal fabrication, and computer assisted design shops. The Skills Capital funding was used to construct a 5,580 square-foot HVAC building that will provide HVAC technician training to an estimated 100 students each year, including career and technical education students, regional public-school students through their “After Dark” partnership program, as well as adult learners in the evening. The Berkshire County Workforce Blueprint identified HVAC technicians as a critical workforce need and prior to this funding there was no HVAC technician training program in the county.
The school district also recently received a $50,000 Career Technical Initiative (CTI) planning grant from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. They will use the funding, in partnership with Pittsfield Public Schools and collaboration with the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board and MassHire Berkshire Career Center, to prepare and design adult training in automotive technology, advanced manufacturing, and welding.
“The Administration is working to close the workforce skills gap and grant programs like Career Technical Initiative (CTI) help provide an opportunity to train and prepare jobseekers, including adult learners, for current workforce demands,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones. “I look forward to continuing our partnership with career and technical education schools like McCann Technical High School, employers across the state, and labor to promote STEM pathways and pave the way for more jobseekers to gain meaningful skills and employment right here in Massachusetts.”
“I am pleased that McCann received a State Skills Capital Grant for the creation of the new HVAC curriculum. In the coming years, graduates from the HVAC program will fill essential jobs, contributing to the future growth of Berkshire County's economy,” said Representative John Barrett III (D-North Adams).
“The opening of this HVAC training facility is a perfect example of the public/private partnership in the Commonwealth. We thank the Governor and Secretary Tutwiler for their multi-million dollar Skills Capital Grant, Representative John Barrett for his grant enabling us to hire an instructor and develop a curriculum and for our HVAC industry partners who provided not only their expertise but the equipment necessary for training our students,” said Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District Superintendent James Brosnan.
“McCann Tech is an invaluable resource for workforce development in the Berkshires. With the new HVAC curriculum and training facility, a critical need in the trades will be addressed and contribute to further regional economic development. Congratulations to Superintendent Brosnan , his team and the Advisory Committee on this accomplishment,” said Adams Town Administrator Jay R. Green.
###