Parent Involvement Program, Inc.
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
Enrichment Programs

Summer Programs:
Marine Biology Summer Program

Summer Math Packets
Rockin’ Robotics

Monthly Family Math Challenge:
A math puzzle goes home every month for elementary aged students and families to solve together. Student winners are chosen and receive a gift for themselves & their teacher.

After School Programs:
MCAS Math Tutoring After School – 3rd Grade Math
MCAS at Home Preparation – 4th & 5th Grade Math
PIP’s Rockin’ Robotics & Rockin’ Robotics II– 4th & 5th Grade
Robotics Competition Teams – middle schools
Vex Robotics Competition Team – high school
Vex Robotics Club – high school
Robotics Mentors Club – middle schoolers mentoring elementary students
Science Club – high school

Family Evening Educational Activities & Family Field Trips:
Super Market Math at Stop & Shop
Family Math Carnival
Children’s Museum Trip

PIP has made a significant impact on giving the children of Braintree an opportunity to experience the math, science and technology of robotics. Since the state budget cuts has hit our communities, middle school level students are not serviced in the science technology frameworks. Science technology focuses on design, construction, engineering basics and technology. PIP is here to create the funding, programs and training for teachers, students and parents, in an after school setting, to help fill in the gaps that the school system is unable to provide due to the lack of resources. Volunteer parents work in partnership with the schools to make robotics available. PIP funds these programs primarily with proceeds from the Racing for Robotics spring fundraiser at F1Boston, and Taste of Braintree community event in the fall. Please join us to support this important effort.

Step into this hands-on workshop for learning how to design, build, and program robots. Legos are the fun building tools we will use to demonstrate how robots are engineered. Make a chair for Mr. Bear, build a robot that lights a path through a tunnel, and design a snow plow to move “snow”. Girls and boys will be intrigued while learning science technology. MORE INFORMATION


Vex Robotics:

PIP's Braintree High School Vex Robotics team went to WPI for a scrimmage February 25th and got the high score of the day in one of their rounds, and missed winning the scrimmage by 2 points! Congratulations to the team for an outstanding effort!!more info and photos at http://www.gpvillage.com/vex








Marine Biology


MAGIC allocates mini grants to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs that empower girls. Funds are made possible by the National Science Foundation, with support from the Boston Chapter Society of Women Engineers and other partners.

The Buttonwood Park Zoo www.bpzoo.org is nestled in a 10 acre park and zoo. This incredible resource is home of PIP's Marine Biology Summer Program. Jason, Tom and Gail are on staff at the zoo and worked with PIP to create this unique opportunity for our Braintree middle school girls. A special thanks to Jason, Marine Biologist ,who lead our girls in this pilot experience and to Joann, PIP Board member, who ran the program for PIP.

The week consisted of learning about evolution, animal behavior, adaptation, anatomy & the aquatic environment, designing an animal exhibit, learning about plants in & around the butterfly garden, and species observation.

Highlights included a day of discovery and dissection of a quahog, squid and a fish, acting out how it feels to be in a school of fish, touring behind the scenes of the animal exhibits and practicing how to train animal behavior with a clicker. On August 26th, Saturday 10-12, our students will exhibit their projects that reflect what they did during their time at the zoo.

Thanks to our many parent volunteers who took active roles in the program to guide the girls through this incredible program. Our dedicated parents are at the base our success! PIP looks forward to continuing our partnership with the Buttonwood Park Zoo.

School Programs

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAMS

In 2005, PIP piloted a successful elementary after school program-PIP’s Rockin’ Robotics. This program serviced over 200 students and included 13 teachers, 12 student mentors and many parent volunteers. PIP purchased 35 robotics kits and licensed software , put together the teacher curriculum guides, provided teacher stipends, training and support.

In 2006, Braintree Public School 4th and 5th Graders will again, have this opportuniy to be exposed to the fundamentals of engineering, construction and robotics computer programming. Information and registration will be detailed in the B.E.E.P. brochure distributed to all students to begin in October, thanks to Maureen Molin, BEEP Coordinator. Classes are limited in size and will be offered at each of the 6 elementary schools, provided a teacher is available. Our middle school robotics competition team mentors will be participating. We welcome parents to help in the classroom!!

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The PIP Robotics Competition Teams are an award winning after school opportunity brought to BPS thru a partnership with Parent Involvement Program, Inc. (PIP). The purpose of these teams is to create a fun, educational, and creative way to give students, teachers and parents an opportunity to work with math, science and technology through robotics. Each team will enter into a state competition, as well as a PIP mini-tournament in Braintree. This program has helped PIP launch robotics at the various levels in the Braintree schools- high school, middle school and elementary school. Each team will create and program a robot that will execute missions on a competition table. A research project, pertaining to the year’s subject matter, will be developed and presented. The third team task includes preparation for the engineering judges’ interviews, regarding their robot and programming designs and execution.

In 2004, PIP developed and funded 2 Robotic Competition Teams, one at East (East Dreamcatchers) and one at South (Build Dogs). Both teams competed in one local and 2 State tournaments, winning awards for their research projects and community awareness. PIP uses a community of mentors to help execute this program. Our mentors include volunteer parents, PIP funded teachers, FIRST mentors, and PIP technical volunteers. The mentors’ role is to manage and empower the students to explore their creative ideas, designs, construction , and programming skills. This hands-on workshop concept appeals to all skill leveled boys and girls.

In 2005, PIP funded 4 competition teams. The teams all won various awards, including the highest award given: The Directors Award. The Shakas team has this distinction, being judged the best all around team in the competition. The Aquatics for Robotics team is Braintree’s first all-girls team with an impressive 15 capable girls. Their spirit and teamwork is an inspiration. This team was the only all girls team of 38 teams competing in the state tournament in Quincy. The Sea Duckies was our all boys team that won the Braintree Mini-tournament by achieving the high score of the day. We look to continuing the boys team for a strong 2nd year. The Diving Dudes was a team of all 6th graders, who went through our 5-week training program before making the team. An impressive showing of teamwork and programming concepts kept the Diving Dudes in the forefront.

In 2006, PIP will fund 8 FIRST Lego League Competition teams at the middle school level to accommodate the overwhelming student interest in robotics. There will be 4 teams at South and 4 teams at East. Each school will have 2 teams in the fall and 2 teams in the winter. Each team will consist of a total of 10 students from the 6th, 7th & 8th grades. The teams will be same sex teams, as we have found this scenario to be the best working environment. There is one coach for each team. We are seeking one teacher advisor per team, to support the coach, work with students and parent volunteers and be the school liaison to the team.

East Middle School will have their kick off meeting Friday, September 22nd after school in the Robotics Workshop. New students interested in the team need to be 7th or 8th graders, or be a 6th grader who has taken PIP’s Rockin’ Robotics in 5th grade. Newcomers will finish to catch the late bus. Our seasoned team members will stay until 4:00 to begin building the mission obstacles. We have a parent coach for the boys’ team and look to acquiring a coach for the girls’ team. We need volunteers to help in the classroom and outside the school. Beginning the week of September 24th teams will meet once per week until 4:00.

South Middle School will begin meeting Tuesday, September 19th for the boys’ team and Thursday September 21st for the girls team. Our coaches this year are PIP Technical Coordinator Pete Peterson and parent volunteer Mrs. Stephanie Myers-Roche. We are thrilled with their dedication and enthusiasm! We need volunteers to help in the classroom and outside the school.

If you are interested in these teams please email Julie McKinney at BraintreePIP@aol.com or call 781-843-2454.

Volunteers Needed: Parent volunteers are needed to help with team research projects, guest speakers, parent communication, and competition trip organization. Volunteers can be in class or outside of class. We invite parents and business professionals to help with this program. Can you help build a competition field? Donate building supplies? Sponsor T-shirts for the teams?

Laptops Needed:
New or used donated laptops, Pentium III or higher, are needed for running updated software. Ask your company’s IT Department if they have used laptops they can donate – you may be surprised. Put an unused company computer in the hands of an eager student!

Material Needed: Used or new Legos Technique Lego pieces. New AA batteries to power the microcomputer RCX brick (each brick requires 6 batteries). Building supplies are needed to construct new competition tables.

BRAINTREE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

In 2004, PIP was chosen as one of 50 pilot sites across the country to launch a new robotics program – Vex Robotics. Due to the cooperation of the administration and staff, we were able to also teach Vex Robotics to about 40 students in class thru their Technology class that year.

PIP sponsored a 5 member high school team, Advocates, that had 5 weeks to create a robot and carry out missions for a national competition in Atlanta, Georgia. PIP funded this trip to Atlanata. The team was coached by high school teacher, Mr. Charles Swift; PIP consultant and FIRST Senior Mentor, Mr. Steven Cremer; and college student Pete Peterson. This team placed 3rd in the nation against 53 teams. We are very proud of these now college students.

In 2005, PIP sponsored a new Vex Robotics Team that incorporated students from 9-12th grade. The team adult mentors included Biology teacher, Lynn Mills, PIP consultant and FIRST Senior Mentor, Steven Cremer, PIP Technical Coordinator, Pete Peterson and PIP parent volunteer and computer programmer Greg Lutz. The team competed in the FIRST Vex Robotics New England Regional Competition, in Connecticut, achieving 2nd place in New England! This 10 student team, Sigma Force, earned a place to compete in the World Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, making it to the semi-finals.

In 2006, we look to a seasoned Vex team and hope to begin a robotics club in the spring, encouraging girls to participate in a big way! Adult mentors this year are: Biology teacher Lynn Mills, PIP consultant and FIRST Senior Mentor, Steven Cremer, and PIP Technical Coordinator, Pete Peterson. We need parent support for this team, can you help? This team will compete in mini tournaments to prepare for the FIRST New England Regional Competition. Interested students can email BraintreePIP@aol.com or call 781-843-2454.
Volunteers & Laptops Needed:
We invite parents and business professionals to help with this program. Can you help build a competition field? Donate building supplies? Sponsor T-shirts for the team?

New or used donated laptops, Pentium III or higher, are needed for running updated software. Ask your company’s IT Department if they have used laptops they can donate – you may be surprised. Put an unused company computer in the hands of an eager student!

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