Raytheon, Patriots Present 15 Scholarships to Boys and Girls Club Members at Science Fair

Raytheon Company and the New England Patriots celebrated the fifth annual “Science of Sports” Science Fair at Gillette Stadium Sunday by awarding scholarships to participants of the three teams that best demonstrated the principles of math and science in sports: Swing Masters from Nashua, N.H., Catapult Court CEOs from Hudson, and GPA +1 from Lawrence.

The Grand Prize winners of the science fair was the “Swing Masters” from the Nashua, N.H. Club. Each student was awarded a $1,000 scholarship:

Swing Masters Team Members:

• Mario Rodriguez
• John Silamba
• Alexis Ortiz
• Keven Guerrero

Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:

• Fred Mott

Project Question: The science behind a golf swing

The Second Place winners of the science fair was “Catapult Court CEOs” from the Hudson Club. Each student will be awarded a $750 scholarship:

Catapult Court CEOs Team Members:

• Brooke Bohn
• Daisjaughn Bass
• Gerry McManus
• Marissa Cecca
• Aayana Bass
• Colleen O’Malley
• Leonel Santos

Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:

• John McCoy
• David Dunn
• Carrie Brown

Project Question: How can we improve shot performance in basketball?

The Third Place winners of the "Science of Sports" Science Fair was “GPA +1” from the Lawrence Club. Each student will be awarded a $500 scholarship:

GPA +1 Team Members:

• Ayanna Vasquez
• Kim Perez
• Kiahvette Guzman
• Bryanna Matias

Raytheon Volunteer Mentors:

• Stefanie Salini
• Jonathan Lakow

Project Question: How hard do you need to slide the stone in order to knock the opponent’s stone out of the target in curling?

These three teams competed against more than 130 middle school students making up 24 teams, representing Boys and Girls Clubs from 17 communities across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

The five-month-long program was supported by 73 Raytheon employee mentors. The teams competed to present their projects to a panel of executive judges including Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson, The Kraft Group Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, and Patriots left tackle Nate Solder.

Since 2009, Raytheon and the Patriots have partnered to present this science fair to encourage Boys and Girls Club members from across New England to imagine and execute projects that explore math and science as they relate to the sports they love.

The scholarships can be used for “camperships” applied to a science, technology, engineering or math-related summer camp or to their freshman year in postsecondary school.

“This is the fifth year we have partnered with Raytheon to host the ‘Science of Sports’ Science Fair. With more students and mentors than we’ve ever had, the theories and creativity of the projects continue to impress me each year,” said Kraft. “Raytheon continues to be one of the most innovative companies in the world with a strong focus on philanthropy. Each year, Bill Swanson provides dozens of Raytheon volunteers to meet and mentor youth at Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the region. Through this program, students learn about teamwork while applying science in a real-life setting. One of my favorite parts of this program is hearing the teams present their projects and seeing the pride they take in the work they have accomplished. Each year, it is exciting to see this program inspire these young people and we hope it encourages them to continue to set and achieve goals through science in the future.”

Said Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson: “Congratulations to all of the students who participated and presented some very impressive science projects. I am pleased that our partners, the New England Patriots and the Kraft family, continue to share our passion for improving math and science education. After five years of judging the science projects of nearly 450 students, Robert Kraft and I clearly see that with the right resources and committed volunteers, we can spark a love of science in a new generation of students who we hope will be inspired to make a career in science, technology, engineering and math.”

The “Science of Sports” Science Fair program is part of Raytheon’s MathMovesU® program designed to increase students’ interest in math and science education. The science fair is a key component of the partnership between Raytheon and the New England Patriots initiated in September 2008 with the opening of The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon. Interactive exhibits in The Hall are designed to showcase how math and science are essential to the fundamentals of football. The Hall’s education program aligns with the goal of inspiring an appreciation for science, technology, engineering and mathematics for visiting school groups.