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Health & Fitness

Raytheon and the New England Patriots Present 17 Scholarships to Boys & Girls Club Members at Sixth Annual 'Science of Sports' Science Fair

More than 150 middle school students from 21 Boys & Girls Clubs across New England participate in science fair at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, June 1.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Five months of hard work, experiments and research culminated in a big way for more than 150 middle school students from Boys & Girls Clubs across New England on Sunday, June 1, as Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the New England Patriots celebrated the sixth annual “Science of Sports” Science Fair at Gillette Stadium by awarding 17 scholarships and congratulating all students on their outstanding projects.

Raytheon Chairman William H. Swanson, Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and Patriots wide receiver and special teams captain Matthew Slater served as executive judges for the day and determined the top three teams that best demonstrated the principles of math and science in sports. Participants of those three teams received scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000, which can be used for “camperships” applied to a science, technology, engineering or math-related summer camp or to their freshman year in postsecondary school.

“I love the ‘Science of Sports’ Science Fair,” said Kraft. “I am always amazed by the creativity of the projects. The partnership with Raytheon on this project has been tremendous over the past six years. The Raytheon mentors do such a great job of making science fun for these Boys and Girls Club students and the children take such pride in their projects. Encouraging students to pursue challenging academic disciplines, especially in math and sciences, is an investment that will continue to pay dividends for generations to come. I applaud the commitment that Bill Swanson and his team of volunteers at Raytheon continue to make to this wonderful program.”

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This year’s grand prize winner was the seven-member team from the Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, for their project on how science can improve the prosthetic leg to restore or improve an athlete’s ability to participate in running-based sports. Raytheon and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will award each member of the team a $1,000 scholarship.

The five-member team from the Boys & Girls Club of MetroWest in Hudson took second place for their project on the variables involved in kicking a football. Each team member will receive a $750 scholarship. Third place went to the five-member team from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem for their project on designing safer race car/NASCAR walls with different materials to absorb impact energy and increase safety. Each team member will receive a $500 scholarship.

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“The projects were outstanding,” Swanson said. “You see experiments like this and you can see the passion. They are able to connect the dots and find why math is important in sports. If we can keep that going then we are going to have more STEM graduates.”

Since 2009, Raytheon and the Patriots have partnered to present the science fair, which encourages Boys & Girls Club members from across New England to imagine and execute projects that explore math and science as they relate to the sports they love. Now in its sixth year, the program has tripled in size as more and more students from Boys & Girls Clubs across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island participate.

“I am pleased to see how much this program has grown,” said Swanson. “When Robert [Kraft] and I first started this program there were 11 teams and we had five Boys & Girls Clubs involved. If you look now, there are over 21 clubs, 30 teams and 150 students competing and over 90 volunteers involved in all of this. I hope this experience inspires students to explore science and math and stay curious about these subjects. A love and interest in science and math will open up a world of opportunities and lead to very bright careers.”

The five-month-long program was supported by 90 Raytheon employee mentors. Thirty teams competed to present their projects to the panel of executive judges, who observed presentations from the event’s six finalists and determined the top three teams. Projects varied from finding the best angle and velocity to make a 3-point shot in basketball to determining whether or not eye black strips effectively reduce glare from stadium lights and seemingly everything in between.

“With the support of volunteers and focused resources, we can make a difference by inspiring a new generation of students to make connections between the fundamentals of math and science and innovation. The ‘Science of Sports’ appeal is evident in its growth over the past six years – the program has tripled in size as more and more students from Boys & Girls Clubs across the state see math and science through the lens of the excitement of sports.”

The program’s success at engaging middle school students in science and math was highlighted by the White House earlier this week at the President’s fourth annual White House Science Fair. The seven-member 2013 Science of Sports team from Hudson, Mass. Boys & Girls Club of MetroWest – represented by Brooke Bohn, Daisuaghn Bass and Gerard McManus – had the opportunity to demonstrate the science and math behind the accuracy and precision of the perfect basketball shot to President Obama.

“Not only is this our biggest year, but we now have recognition from the highest office,” said Swanson. “This is a great accomplishment for the Science of Sports program; to be able to do this in such a high form of recognition is truly remarkable.”

The “Science of Sports” Science Fair program is part of Raytheon’s MathMovesU® program designed to increase students’ interest in math and science education. The science fair is a key component of the partnership between Raytheon and the New England Patriots initiated in September 2008 with the opening of The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon. Interactive exhibits in The Hall are designed to showcase how math and science are essential to the fundamentals of football. The Hall’s education program aligns with the goal of inspiring an appreciation for science, technology, engineering and mathematics for visiting school groups.

Teams from Boys & Girls Clubs from Billerica, Mass., Charlestown, Mass., Dorchester, Mass., Fall River, Mass., Hudson, Mass., Lawrence, Mass., Leominster, Mass., Lowell, Mass., Marlborough, Mass., Marshfield, Mass., Maynard, Mass., Nashua, N.H., Pawtucket, R.I., Roxbury, Mass., Salem, Mass., Somerville, Mass., Stoneham, Mass., Watertown, Mass., Woburn, Mass. and Worcester, Mass. participated in this year’s “Science of Sports” Science Fair.

About MathMovesU

Raytheon’s MathMovesU® program is an initiative committed to increasing middle and elementary school students’ interest in math and science education by engaging them in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of MathMovesU include the traveling interactive experience MathAlive!™; Raytheon’s Sum of all Thrills™ experience at INNOVENTIONS atEpcot®, which showcases math in action as students design and experience their own thrill ride using math fundamentals; the “In the Numbers” game, a partnership with the New England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon; the company’s ongoing sponsorship of the MATHCOUNTS® National Competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant program. Follow MathMovesU and other Raytheon community outreach programs on Facebook and on Twitter @MathMovesU.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us atwww.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

About the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation

The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation is the non-profit organization established by the Kraft family in 1994 to support charitable and philanthropic agencies throughout New England. This support comes in the form of direct grants and the donation of signed memorabilia to charitable causes, and from Patriots players who offer their direct support by appearing at charity functions throughout the year. The Foundation's primary goal is to support programs that aid the youth and families of the New England region by assisting programs that foster cultural diversity, education, family and health. The Foundation has taken special interest in youth programs that encourage education, creativity and development of character. For more information, please visitwww.patriots.com/community

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