Colonial Fund Supported Programs

2023-24

For more pictures and details about these programs, please see the Career Exploration site.

On December 5th, 30 students attended STEM day at Olympus, Westborough. (From L to R: Richard Reynolds, President, Medical Systems Group; student using probe to virtually explore a colon; students in a mock Operating Room, using laprascopes using only monitors to guide their movements.

Over the summer and through the early part of the 2023-24 school year, the Colonial Fund has funded a variety of programs to support Career Exploration opportunities, including

STEM Days and Career Days at Olympus, Marvell Semiconductor and Charles River Labs
Job Fair and vocational courses at Blackstone Valley Hub.
Career Fair on February 6th
Job Shadowing during February and April vacations.

Details for the various programs and opportunities can be found on the Career Exploration page.

The end of year 2023 Annual Appeal for this year will support the purchase of an Anatomage Table.

Career Fair, February 6

On February 6th, we held our third Annual Career Fair in the SHS Commons. over 500 high school sophomores, juniors and seniors participated in the event, where they had the opportunity to interact with over 40 diverse organizations (click link to see brief descriptions of each), including businesses, trade schools, community colleges, and our very own alumni. The businesses span a wide range of professions, with numerous opportunities aligning with high school Career Pathways programs, trade contacts, and alternative post-high school pathways.

"Youth in Motion", March 22nd

SHS Physical Education teacher and Springfield College alum, Ms. Lauren Silbor, brought 23 SHS students to Springfield College for their semi-annual Youth In Motion program. The “Youth in Motion” program is open to Springfield College alumni who are high school physical educators (like SHS’ Lauren Silbor), who bring interested students to Springfield’s East Campus for a career exploration in adventure education, physical education, coaching, career exploration, nutrition, health promotion, sport management, and recreation management.

According to Ms. Silbor, "The trip was amazing! The students participated in several different workshops in leadership and sport performance. This included going to the training room and learning how to use the equipment, creating a PE lesson, and talking with current students and student athletes about the school and what programs they are in. Some of our students [were tagged in] a post from Springfield!" Ms. Silbor attended a Professional Day training session on cooperative learning with some of her former classmates who also brought their students on the trip. Ms. Silbor "My former professors [said] great things about all of the students".

Oak Middle School Career Day, April 25th

50 community partners from dozens of professional fields and trades were welcomed by Oak Middle School staff and students. 450 7th grade students chose two professionals with whom they interacted during a series of 20-30 minute informational sessions. Each professional spoke with (2) groups of 8-15 students about the day-to-day work in their field, the training and skills that are required to be successful in their field, and answer students’ prepared questions. This experience was so memorable and valuable for students. Career day is what makes their research “come alive”, and helps to reinforce the importance of communication, perseverance, and critical thinking that makes an individual successful regardless of their chosen profession.

Worcester Business Journal 2024 Manufacturing Excellence Awards, April 23rd

SHS Principal Todd Bazydlo and SHS Director of Counseling Angie Flynn attended the WBJ 2024 Manufacturing Excellence Awards conference, held at Holy Cross College, to learn more about the growth of the Manufacturing industry in Central Massachusetts, future expansion expected in the area, and the main players who are helping to make the Worcester area a thriving hub for innovation. Companies honored were:

Saint-Gobain Abrasives, "financially supporting local organizations and institutions through grants and partnering initiatives."
Impermea Materials, "replacing plastics, by using safer coatings on recyclables"
Waters, Corp, "improving the sustainability of its manufacturing operations and products"
AIS Office Furniture, innovative workforce development through their Boost program, a "company-sponsored initiative seeking to create social and philanthropic opportunities for workers both inside and outside the facility."
Mrs. Moriconi's ice cream, "collaborating with locals like Goss Farm in Dunstable and Maple Line Farms in Hadley for raw materials and to launch co-manufactured brands... using as many local products as possible."
Camelot Tools, "innovates to make manual labor easier and more effective", and "certified as a woman-owned business, and annually contributing to the Navy SEAL Foundation, an organization supporting veterans and families of naval special warfare."