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By Fred J. Aun
ROXBURY, NJ - Roxbury High School’s Structural Design and Fabrication (SDF) program - in which students build homes donated to Habitat for Humanity - landed honors earlier this month for Roxbury Schools Assistant Superintendent Charles Seipp and SDF Instructor Frank Caccavale.
The educators were recognized at the 87th Annual International Technology & Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) conference in St. Louis, MO, which took place April 2 to April 5.
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Seipp and Caccavale accepted the Public Understanding of Technology and Engineering Education Award. They were commended for their efforts to promote technology and engineering education to the broader community both within and outside the school walls.
“Roxbury High’s Structural Design and Fabrication program has been frequently featured on Roxbury School District’s Podcast, Schoolhouse ROX, various news programs and through presentations they have given locally, statewide and nationally,” noted the school district. “Most notable was the national live broadcast done from the school about the SDF program as part of a nationally televised segment on Fox and Friends.”
In addition to Caccavale and Seipp, the conference was also attended by Roxbury High School Aviation Instructor Michael Gottfried, who spoke at the event about the program.
During his presentation, called Innovating STEM Education through Aviation, Gottfried shared best practices and resources to help build successful aviation programs in other districts across the country, the district said.
“Gottfried emphasized how other schools/programs can take this framework, remove the aviation content and input another subject area to create a meaningful pathway for students,” it explained.
Gottfried said the conference provided him with “an opportunity to collaborate with educators across the country, share best practices and brainstorm better ways to support our students.”
He said he was happy for the chance “to show others the amazing things we’re doing in Roxbury, and learn from them as well,” adding that he now has “a number of ideas” he wants to implement this year.
Caccavale was additionally recognized, for a third year in a row, as an Outstanding State Champion for the state of New Jersey for his work promoting STEM Education and ITEEA statewide, the district said. It noted Caccavale and New Jersey were among only eight states recognized with that honor.
At the conclusion of the conference, Caccavale was sworn in to a 2-year term on the ITEEA Board of Directors, where he is only the second New Jersey educator in the organization's 87-year history to be elected to the Board of Directors.
“Programs like Structural Design & Fabrication (SDF) and Aviation at Roxbury High School are nothing short of extraordinary,” said Seipp. “These initiatives exemplify what’s possible when visionary, innovative educators like Dr. Gottfried and Mr. Caccavale lead with passion and purpose. At this conference and in conversations with educators from across the state, it's clear: Many schools can’t even imagine launching programs of this caliber. Yet here at Roxbury, we’re not just imagining it, we’re setting the standard for 21st century education.”