The Henry Grew School
On Friday September 25, 2026, the Michael B. Silevitch and Claire J. Duggan Center for STEM Education hosted 22 sixth grade Boston Public School students from the Henry Grew School in Hyde Park for another successful STEM field trip! Several Galante Engineering Business and Northeastern student volunteers helped teach and facilitate activities throughout the day.
The Grew students first learned the engineering design process by building free-standing paper towers, then working in teams to try to build the tallest tower with one sheet of paper! Some teams’ designs spanned over 40 centimeters tall! After building the towers, the students were tasked with naming the skills an engineer needs. Students answered with a variety of skills, including curiosity, determination, and hard work!
Catapult Example
Grew students continued their focus on civil and mechanical engineering by building their own catapults made of spoons, rubber bands, and popsicle sticks. They learned about the difference between accuracy (close to the target) and precision (consistency), which are key engineering concepts and applicable to their catapult design.
To test their catapults accuracy and precision, they were able to launch small Hershey Kisses at Nick, scoring points for hitting different body parts. If the teams needed to improve their catapults for more accuracy or precision, they were able to try again after adjusting their design!
Rockets on the launcher in Centennial Common
Lastly, the students paired up in teams of 2 to build paper rockets. Students learned about different types of flaps and cones they can use when designing their rockets. We then traveled to Centennial Common to launch the rockets! Students were able to see rockets launched and learn about how their design affected the rockets’ trajectory. Rockets were launched both straight into the air and at a 45° angle!
Thank you to the Henry Grew School students, teachers and their chaperones for a fantastic STEM field trip!
