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Press Release

Press Release  MEDIA ADVISORY: Healey-Driscoll Administration Kicks Off Massachusetts 2026 STEM Week, Oct. 19-23

STEM celebrations and announcements happening across the state all week
For immediate release:
10/16/2026
  • Executive Office of Education
  • Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Department of Higher Education
  • Department of Early Education and Care

Media Contact

Jason Law, Press Secretary and Events Coordinator

BOSTON — Next week, the Healey-Driscoll Administration will celebrate 2026 STEM Week with events and announcements across Massachusetts to lift up and highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and careers. The theme for STEM Week is ‘STEM Starts Now’, reinforcing the message that STEM learning can start at any age and plays a crucial role in shaping the future workforce of the state.    

Starting Monday, Oct. 19 and lasting throughout the week, Secretary Zrike will attend more than a dozen STEM Week events across Massachusetts, joined throughout by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez and Higher Education Interim Commissioner José Luis Santos.  

2026 STEM Week Schedule 

All events are open to press, please RSVP to Jason.Law@mass.gov 

Monday, October 19: 

What:  2026 STEM Week kickoff celebration and Engineering Design Challenge 

Who:  Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Education Secretary Steve Zrike, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones, Higher Education Interim Commissioner José Luis Santos, Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez, Museum of Science President Tim Ritchie

When: Monday, October 19, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 

Where:  Museum of Science, 1 Science Pk, Boston, MA 02114

Event starts with a press conference followed by Engineering Design Challenge with students and an interactive STEM experience in the museum’s new Public Science Common

   

What:  Horizons for Homeless Children’s STEM programming classroom visit

Who:  Education Secretary Steve Zrike, Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw

When: Monday, October 19, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.   

Where:  Horizons for Homeless Children, 1785 Columbus Ave, Roxbury, MA 02119

What:  Training Resources and Internship Network (TRAIN) grant announcement

Who:  Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Education Secretary Steve Zrike, Higher Education Interim Commissioner José Luis Santos, MassBay Community College President David Podell

When: Monday, October 19, 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.  

Where:  MassBay Community College, 490 Franklin St, Framingham, MA 01702 

   

Tuesday, October 20:   

What:  Career Technical Education (CTE) expansion announcement 

Who:  Education Secretary Steve Zrike, Fitchburg Mayor Sam Squailia

When: Tuesday, October 20, 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.   

Where:  Montachusett Vocational Partnership (MVP) Center, 270 Westminster Street Fitchburg, MA 01420

What: Framingham Centre Nursery School program visit

Who: Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw

When: Tuesday, October 20, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Where: Framingham Centre Nursery School, 24 Vernon Street, Framingham, MA 01701

What:  Sky View Middle School OpenSciEd classroom visit 

Who:  Education Secretary Steve Zrike

When:  Tuesday, October 20, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Where:  Sky View Middle School, 500 Kennedy Way, Leominster, MA 01453

What:  Workforce Investment Trust Fund announcement

Who:  Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Education Secretary Steve Zrike, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones, Health and Human Services Secretary Kiame Mahaniah, Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley

When: Tuesday, October 20, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Where:  Middlesex Community College, Bedford Campus, 591 Springs Road, Building 8

Wednesday, October 21:   

What: MassMakes Innovation Challenge with MassTech

Who: Education Secretary Steve Zrike

When: Wednesday, October 21, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.  

Where: Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 Hall of Fame Ave, Springfield, MA 01105

What:  Massachusetts Science & Engineering Fair State House Day

Who:  Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez

When: Wednesday, October 21, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

Where:  Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133

What: Greater Holyoke YMCA STEM Design Challenge grant announcement 

Who:   Education Secretary Steve Zrike

When:  Wednesday, October 21, 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. 

Where: Greater Holyoke YMCA, 171 Pine Street, Holyoke, MA  01040

  

Thursday, October 22:   

What:  Innovation Career Pathways announcement 

Who:  Education Secretary Steve Zrike

When: Thursday, October 22, 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.  

Where:  Norwood High School, 245 Nichols Street, Norwood, MA 02062 

What:  Career Technical Education and Skills Capital Grant classroom visit

Who: Education Secretary Steve Zrike, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez, Higher Education Interim Commissioner José Luis Santos, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School Superintendent Roger Forget

When: Thursday, October 22, 11:45 p.m. to 1 p.m. 

Where: Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School, 220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532

What:  Massachusetts Maritime Academy classroom demo

Who: Education Secretary Steve Zrike, Higher Education Interim Commissioner José Luis Santos, President of Massachusetts Maritime Academy Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald,

When: Thursday, October 22, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 101 Academy Dr, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

   

Friday, October 23: 

What: Visit and tour inside Harmonic Drive, a precision motion control products manufacturer 

Who:  Education Secretary Steve Zrike

When: Friday, October 23, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Where:  Harmonic Drive, 42 Dunham Ridge, Beverly, MA 01915

Note: photography and video recording are prohibited inside facility  

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Media Contact

  • Executive Office of Education

    From birth to post-secondary education, the Executive Office of Education works to connect all Massachusetts residents with a high-quality education regardless of their circumstance, zip code, or socioeconomic status.
  • Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

    DESE oversees the education of children grades pre-k through 12 in Massachusetts, striving to ensure that all students across the Commonwealth succeed.
  • Department of Higher Education

    The mission of the Board of Higher Education is to ensure that Massachusetts residents have the opportunity to benefit from a higher education that enriches their lives and advances their contributions to the civic life, economic development, and social progress of the Commonwealth. To that end, the programs and services of Massachusetts higher education must meet standards of quality commensurate with the benefits it promises and must be truly accessible to the people of the Commonwealth in all their diversity.

  • Department of Early Education and Care

    The Department of Early Education and Care’s mission is to advance high-quality, equitable, and accessible early education and care that supports children’s development, partners with families, invests in educators, and sustains strong programs and communities.
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