WATERTOWN — Superintendent Deanne Galdston is pleased to share that Watertown High School has been awarded a $150,000 Skills Capital Grant by the Baker-Polito administration.
The grant will support Watertown High’s Engineering Technology Program, the school’s first vocational/technical pathway, which is completed over three years beginning in students’ sophomore year.
There are currently nine courses that students complete as part of the engineering program — engineering design, principles of engineering, digital electronics, civil engineering and architecture, computer integrated manufacturing, environmental sustainability, introduction to robotics, engineering design and development, and all aspects of the engineering industry.
The Skills Capital Grant will allow Watertown High School to purchase and install state-of-the-art equipment that students will use to gain hands-on experience with real-world tools used in the engineering field.
The equipment includes:
- CNC milling equipment
- 3D printers
- Robotic arm kits
- Microscopes
- Digital shaking waterbath
- Electrophoresis kits
- Band saw, drill press and laser engraver
- VEX kits for computer integrated manufacturing
- Nikon AX2S auto level, and more
“The Engineering Technology Program is an exciting way for students to gain practical experience in a growing and ever-changing field, and the Skills Capital Grant will be a tremendous help as we work to make the program more immersive and engaging,” Career Technical Education Coordinator Laura Alderson Rotondo said. “This is the first of what we hope will be many pathways that will be available to Watertown High School students in the years to come, and we are grateful for the early support from the Baker-Polito administration.”
Watertown High School is one of 47 educational institutions who were awarded Skills Capital grants by the Baker-Polito administration last week. In all, $11.7 million in funds were allocated to support the purchase of updated equipment and the growth of student enrollment in career and technical education programs.
Skills Cabinet grants are awarded to educational institutions that are able to showcase their partnerships with local businesses and whose curriculum and credentials seek to meet the demand of growing industries in the Commonwealth.
Through its Skills Capital grants, the Baker-Polito administration has worked to increase the number of students enrolled in programs where they can learn and train for occupations in high-demand careers. More than 300 educational programs have received financial support from the Skills Capital grant initiative, which has awarded approximately $92 million and is overseen by Gov. Baker’s Workforce Skills Cabinet.
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