B.M.C. Durfee, Newton North, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical, and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical Win AMP It Up! Challenge

May 17, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Meggie Quackenbush, MassDevelopment, 617-330-2011 & 857-208-2777 (cell)
mquackenbush@massdevelopment.com

B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Newton North High School in Newton, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Billerica, and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in New Bedford have won the third AMP it up! Challenge, which invites students to research an advanced manufacturing innovation in their region and show its impacts in a three-minute video. B.M.C. Durfee High School, which produced a video on Fall River’s Matouk Fine Linens, and Newton North High School, which produced a video on New Valence Robotics in Boston, will each receive $5,000. Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School and Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School will each receive $2,500 for videos on U-Turn Audio in Woburn and Assembly Guidance Systems in Chelmsford. To see the videos, visit ampitupma.com/challenge, and read about 2015 and 2016 AMP it up! Challenge winners online.

“The AMP it up! Challenge changes the perception of how young students view careers in manufacturing by illustrating the important roles these companies play in their communities,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones. “MassDevelopment congratulates B.M.C. Durfee High School, Newton North High School, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School for their creative efforts.”

“This is very special for us to win a second year in a row. It really demonstrates our students’ production excellence and is a perfect example of a partnership between our school and the business community,” said Rene Kochman, Director of Operations for FRED-TV at B.M.C. Durfee High School.

“The design and visual communications students at Newton North High School are honored to win the AMP it up! Challenge. The students’ creativity and perseverance were key to their success,” said Sue Brooks, Newton North High School design teacher. “We use New Valence’s 3D printers in our classroom, and the students were excited to highlight the company after having a positive hands-on experience with them. Thank you to Chris Haid, one of the company’s co-founders, for providing the students with a meaningful interview for this project, and to MassDevelopment for this award.”

“It is so great that the students have this opportunity to work together and venture out into today’s innovative manufacturing environment. This competition has helped them apply and develop their soft and hard skills—we’re all so proud of them,” said Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational High School Engineering Technology teacher and AMP it up! Challenge advisor Angela Basse.

“The students at Shawsheen decided to work with Assembly Guidance Systems because not only are their products made in Massachusetts, their workers were trained in Massachusetts. In fact, many of their employees are past graduates of mine, and the company currently employs co-op students from Shawsheen,” said Paul Blanchette, electronics instructor at Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School. “Assembly Guidance Systems sets a great example of how a manufacturing business can invest in its community, and we were excited to highlight the company’s work in our video.”

MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2016, MassDevelopment financed or managed 352 projects generating investment of more than $4 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create about 8,200 jobs and build or rehabilitate about 4,200 residential units.