Ensign-Bickford Continues to Support SHS STEM Lab

At the Simsbury Board of Education meeting on October 24, 2017, Craig Boucher, Senior Technical Director of Engineering at Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company, presented a $10,000 donation on behalf of the Ensign-Bickford Foundation in support of the work that is being done at Simsbury High School to develop a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) lab.

Ensign Bickford has been a long-time supporter of innovation and technology in the Simsbury Public Schools. In addition to multiple donations to the FIRST Robotics program, now in its eighth year, the foundation has helped establish a co-op program that allows two juniors to participate in an internship for six weeks, learning not just about the different fields of engineering that they could pursue but acquiring essential life skills related to the workplace.

Joncia Lytwynec, FIRST Robotics Team Coach and Director of Instructional Technology and Career/Technical Education noted, “This is not our first collaboration with Ensign-Bickford… they have supported us all along. Last year they decided they wanted to help us in a bigger way.”

Ensign-Bickford’s initial donation got the STEM Lab off the ground. It is a space where high school students can really delve into problem-based learning and work in a hands-on environment where they can grow as risk takers, innovators, and critical thinkers. Said Assistant Superintendent Erin Murray, who had toured the lab with other board members the previous week, “We just couldn’t be more excited about these opportunities.”

BOE member Jeff Tindall echoed Murray’s thoughts. He said, “[The STEM Lab] is an impressive space. We’ve come far away from when I was young with erector sets!”

Photo Caption: At the October 24, 2017 Simsbury Board of Education meeting, the BOE accepted a generous donation from the Ensign-Bickford Foundation to help fund Simsbury High School’s STEM lab. Front Row (l. to r.): BOE member Todd Burrick, Vice Chair R. Michael Goman, BOE member Susan Salina, BOE Chair Tara Donohue Willerup, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company Senior Technical Director of Engineering Craig Boucher, Director of Career/Technical Education Joncia Lytwynec, Assistant Superintendent Erin Murray. Back row (l. to r.): BOE members Jeff Tindall and Thomas E. Frank, BOE Student Representative Dylan Fitch, and Superintendent Matt Curtis.