FROM THE REGION.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

COLUMN: FROM THE REGION

Worcester

Worcester Tech celebrates recognition

WORCESTER - Worcester Technical High School yesterday celebrated its recognition as a national model by NBC News' Education Nation, showed off a recent collaboration and unveiled a new partnership.

The school's selection as one of 10 case studies NBC put together led to an appearance on the Today Show Sept. 25 and a trip to New York for Principal Sheila Harrity to participate in an education summit.

At Worcester Tech, students spend one week on their academics and the next in their trade, where they spend every hour of the school day with the same small group of students and the same instructor.

Local officials shared the stage in Worcester Tech's auditorium yesterday with "Integro," a metal sculpture designed by artist and veteran William R. Kleinedler and built with help from students. The sculpture is a commission from the Fisher House in Boston, which provides free housing for the families of injured soldiers while the soldiers go through rehabilitation. The piece will be moved to Boston in time for Veterans Day, and students will accompany it.

The newest partnership Worcester Tech announced today is with Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which is collaborating with universities in New York and Belgium on a zero-net-energy house they will enter in a solar decathlon in China. They are one of 23 teams chosen to participate. Worcester Tech students will help build the house, which will be displayed in Institute Park in the spring or summer before it is sent to China.

Superintendent Melinda J. Boone said the district is happy to share the school's story. "We're most proud that our students and our faculty are writing the story of innovation," she said.

The school gained praise from all sides. "Worcester Tech is a leader for the country," said U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester. City Manager Michael V. O'Brien thanked Edwin B. Coghlin, Jr., chairman of the school's General Advisory Board, for all the work he has done generating business and community support for the schools. "We stand on his shoulders, all of us, and his knees don't even buckle," Mr. O'Brien said.

The event also showcased work being done in other departments, such as biotechnology, which will graduate its first seniors in the spring, and veterinary science.

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