The selected students were selected in the face of stiff competition for the few available spaces on the trip- which represents a partnership between TechBoston Academy and Hudson High School, of Hudson, MA. The trip will be coordinated by the Brookline based organization Facing History, and all of the attending students will be required to attend weekly meetings at their location that will provide them with the historical, cultural, and social tools neccessary to successfully fullfil its aim of bridging two communities separated by thousands of miles as well as sociological, political, and historical legacies.

Read more about the trip here:

• Bay State Banner Article- 11/13/08
• Boston.com Article- 10/26/2008
• Facing History Press Release

With a national election turnout expected to break records, students from TechBoston Academy have been breaking some of their own this election day, with 17 eligible TBA students registering for the first time to vote in today’s national and state elections.

While some of their peers headed to the real polls, the rest of the TechBoston community participated in an online mock election, making their own choices for national office, as well as evaluating and voting on several ballot measures that today went before the voters of Massachusetts.

Stay tuned for the results of the TechBoston mock election, but whatever the outcome one thing is certain… in an election that promises to make history regardless of the outcome, levels of engagement and involvement in both local and national politics have reached new highs at TBA as a result!

Instruction will cover computer hardware and system upgrades, as well as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. At the end of the program, families have the option to purchase a refurbished computer system for $90, which includes a new printer, 1-year warranty, and Microsoft Office XP software.

If you are interested in applying, see Ms. McPherson or Mr. Citrin. Applications are due by Wednesday, October 8.

Students had the opportunity to explore first-hand the results of this grand effort, as they walked the interpretive trail witnessing the many types of plants gracing this island. A tree identification activity allowed students to recognize the types of trees that can withstand the sandy, salt-water and wind-blown conditions of Spectacle Island.

After lunch, at low tide, students were able to take inventory of the many different types of marine organisms living in the tide pools – small pools of water left behind amongst the rocks when the tide recedes. Hermit crabs appeared to be greatly abundant and a class favorite. Strange tiny whirlpools emanating from somewhere under the surface of the sand were a real curiosity, the source of which could not be explained by the local naturalists.

Spectacle Island is only one of some 27 islands of Boston Harbor, many of which are open to the public during the summer months. These islands have a rich history, and the class looks forward to returning to the tide-pools and new growth in the spring.

Visitors from the New England Association Schools & Colleges (NEASC) visited TechBoston Academy this week as part of the school’s accreditation process. 15 members of the NEASC visiting team interviewed teachers and administrators, and spent several days shadowing students through their classes as part of an accreditation process that would stand as formal recognition of the high academic and social standards that have become the cornerstones of a TBA education.

Each year, the culminating project for the class is a trip to Europe in April. The trip will includes visits to concentration camps such as Dachau and Auschwitz, as well as a visit to Nuremberg and Checkpoint Charlie. Also, for the first time last year, the trip included a visit to Paris at the end of the journey, where students had the opportunity to meet survivors of the concentration camps that they had just visited, and to participate in a question and answer session with them. Students learned about the history of World War II, the holocaust, and discussed real-world examples of genocide happening today in other parts of the world.

The TechBoston Academy Facing History class and trip were recently highlighted by NBC’s Today Show, and you can view the story here.

The Facing History trip is only possible because of the generosity of local contributors and businesses, and the tireless fund-raising efforts of the students and faculty involved with the class. Please use the button to the right if you wish to show your continued support for our students’ ability to take advantage of this profoundly important academic and social experience.

You can also visit the Facing History class blog here.