Outstanding technology and engineering programs from around the world, including the program from Hudson Middle School were honored by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) at its 82nd Annual Conference held in March.

Thirty-one technology and engineering education programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels received ITEEA’s Program Excellence Award. The Program Excellence Award is one of the highest honors given to technology and engineering education programs is presented in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the profession and students. The Program Excellence Award provides public recognition at the local/state through international levels.

The Program Excellence Award program is designed to recognize superior K-12 technology and engineering education programs from around the world. These award-winning programs serve as a standard for comparison and models for the development of other programs. Therefore, it is essential that each program selected and recognized reflects contemporary technology engineering education.

Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in their region, province, or state as proponents of advancing technological literacy for all.

ITEEA President, Dr. Philip A. Reed, DTE, shared, “The award winners exhibit so many high-quality programs and activities occurring globally in technology and engineering education! It is inspiring to learn from these leaders, and we should all feel proud to be connected with these colleagues.”

Each year, Hudson Middle School sixth graders participate in “BizTown”, a learning lab simulation in St. Paul sponsored by Junior Achievement. Leading up to the lab simulation, students study economics and finance in their World Studies and Math classes. Students complete resumes, job applications, and participate in job interviews in their Language Arts classes. During their time in the lab, students work to operate a profitable business, manage their finances, gain an understanding of local government, and experience being an “adult” for the day. 

This year’s “Mayor” Lily Welle, from the Raider White House had this to say about her BizTown experience, “This experience will be very hard to forget. During the day my job was to run the whole town, answer questions or concerns, and spot out who was being a good worker and citizen. As mayor in others’ eyes, it seems that all you do is walk around and talk to people, when that is not it. As mayor, you have many responsibilities like making sure all of the citizens get paid the right amount, do all of the bank loans, give speeches about what’s going on in the town, set up the voting station, encourage others to have fun and get their work done, and more. Being mayor of BizTown was an amazing opportunity, and the staff and volunteers were so nice and encouraging. I hope that someday I can have a role or job just like this.”

On January 21st, Hudson Middle School Student Council Students volunteered at Feed My Starving Children. They helped to pack 65 boxes of food, feeding 38 children for a year. #WeAreRaiderProud