Recently, several Henry Abbott Tech math and science teachers visited aerospace and defense supplier, Goodrich Corporation’s, Danbury facility as part of the GenNext grant initiative. The initiative is a pilot for a work-based learning model within the career and technical education system. Together, teachers and business partners develop activities, lessons and projects that will focus on the high-level skills necessary for students’ success in the post-secondary classroom and the high-skill, high-wage workplace of the twenty-first century.

Math and science teachers, as well as guidance counselors, collaborate with business partners to create curriculum to ensure that academic and industry-recognized skill standards are met. The visiting teachers all remarked that the experience was “truly eye-opening” and encourage other educators to leverage the local institutional knowledge base that exists in their communities. Over the course of the following weeks business partners will participate in classrooms to observe lessons and plan future activities and projects.

The following Henry Abbott Tech teachers visited Goodrich : Dave Telesco, Science/Physics Instructor; Andrew Ipkovich, Science Instructor; Joseph Pacific, Math Instructor; and Kevin Killeen, Math Instructor. The following Goodrich team members hosted the teachers: Paul Bouffard, Manager of Opto-Mechanical Assembly; Joe Scotto, Team Leader/Machine Shop; Tony Laurenza, Operations Manager; and David Sharkis, Manager of Training and Staffing.