Last week, Citizen Schools, a national nonprofit that partners with public middle schools in low-income communities, held its annual Bay State Bash to thank its volunteers. Not only was it a great time, but we are pleased to report the NVBOTS team received several great honors! CEO AJ Perez and COO Chris Haid each received gold-level President’s Volunteer Service Awards, for teaching over the course of the last four semesters. In addition, CTO Forrest Pieper and VP of Engineering Mateo Peña Doll each received bronze level awards, for their service over the past two semesters.
Recognized as the premier volunteer award, the President’s Volunteer Service Award was established to encourage citizens to live a life of service through presidential gratitude and national recognition. It also serves as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment, encourage a sustained dedication to civic participation and inspire others to make service a central part of their lives. A true honor indeed.
And it gets even better! NVBOTS was also honored with the DMC Apprenticeship of the Year Award. Chosen by campus staff, this year’s DMC Apprenticeship of the Year Award recognized the collection of NVBOTS 3D Printing apprenticeships at the McCormack Middle School.
In the campus’s own words:
“After its first run at the campus, New Valence Robotics donated a 3D printer to the school and set up a curriculum for future use at the DMC. This class has provided students with many perspectives on the STEM fields and ignited their own creative engines. Most importantly, NVBOTS has endowed our students with consistent people who truly care about them and their school.”
To receive these awards is a testament to the strong partnership NVBOTS has with Citizen Schools…and our commitment to giving back on a regular basis. We look forward to another great semester this fall. In fact, we are already working on new curricula to further help Citizen School students bring their ideas to life!
