Best-in-Class STEM Education at Newton North High School

By LINDSEY CHRISTENSEN | Published: DEC 29, 2011

I received a hot tip that I should interview English-teacher-turned-engineer Steve Chinosi at nearbyNewton North High School.  Steve has started up some amazing engineering programs over at NNHS that are receiving national recognition. Being the friendly neighbor that we are, PTC contributes to these programs both monetarily and with free software like Creo.  I went to talk to Steve in person and didn’t regret it – he has a contagious passion for the engineering programs and accomplishments of his students.

The Innovation Lab

Housing the organized chaos that is all things engineering at Newton North High School is the Innovation Lab (also known as Newton’s Lab because it serves all Newton Public Schools). The Lab, which opened December 2010, holds that its mission is to be a place “where educators, students, business and community stakeholders can explore and pilot new educational initiatives and partnerships designed to link students and learning to the world around them and address and create solutions for 21st century social, economic and environmental challenges.”

Steve (aka Mr C for those in the know) told me about a number of initiatives living within The Lab.  They tend to fall under either environmental engineering or mechanical engineering, or both!

Green Engineering

“Greengineering” is a program Steve started over 4 years ago, around the Design Thinking principals of IDEO, in an effort to transform his classroom into a multi-discipline Think Tank.  The club tackles a number of impressive projects:

• Making biodiesel from the waste vegetable oil of a nearby fast food restaurant
• Making reusable bags from plastic shopping or food storage bags.
• Growing algae for biodiesel use
• Solving the glycerin composting issue
• Innovative ways to make NNHS a greener school

With awe I followed Steve as he explained how the water heaters in the lab are reverse-engineered and reconstructed every year into bio-fuel creating machines.  The program is the first of its kind in the US.  Greengineering has won a number of prestigious grants and awards including the Governor’s Award, Secretary of Engineering’s Award and a Green Schools Award.

CAD Software for Students

The engineering organization at NNHS also involves students in CAD-centric programs that have been covered before on the Creo blog like FIRST robotics and the Real World Design Challenge.  In these exciting design engineering competitions, both sponsored in part by PTC, students are able to get hands-on experience using professional design tools like Creo.

I learned that beyond the programs for which NNHS has been supplied complimentary seats of Creo, they are using the design suite for other projects and competitions as well (even testing out adirondack chair designs before creating them in woodshop!).

Innovation Lab students familiar with Creo are also using it for 2D sketching, concept design and eventually simulation to give them a leg-up at UMass Lowell’s Assisted Technology Design Fair.  ATDF asks high schools to team with a disabled member of their community and produce an assistive technology that meets their unique needs.

Sea Perch photo credit to MIT.edu

MIT organizes an annual underwater remote-controlled robot challenge (doesn’t everyone?) called Sea Perch.  High School teams actually work together, albeit on different project elements, to address whatever the challenge is (last year it was to cap a simulated oil spill in the MIT pool). Although not required, Newton North once again takes advantage of using Creo to problem solve, collaborate and optimize their designs for the competition.

I hope to get back to Newton North High School soon to check out the teams’ progress within this wide array of commendable programs promoting STEM education and a better tomorrow. Stay tuned!