Charter School Makes Waves in Science, Tech, and Engineering

The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School (BFCCPS) has announced  its middle school achievements this month in the fields of Science, Technology and Engineering.

The mission of BFCCPS, includes a classical education whereby students are grounded in the fundamental subjects of literature, history, mathematics, science, language, music and the arts in order to understand culture and support active participation in it.

The One8 Applied Learning Hub and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) hosted an Applied Learning Student Showcase on May 8th at The TRACK at New Balance in Boston, MA. Three 8th grade teams were selected from BFCCPS following an in school STEAM student showcase.

The students who participated in this statewide expo created a tri-fold board presentation and produced a functioning app on MIT App Inventor. The following students participated this year; Aagam Shah and James Jaeggli with their app about medications for the elderly, Max Greene and Jacob Simmons with their app about Ninja Warrior, and Anagha Balagurumoorthy and Shreya Kirikera with their app about water safety with drinking water.

They were then introduced to many industry experts who asked questions about the creation of their apps along with suggestions for how to improve their apps in the future. It was a wonderful event and the students selected should be so proud of their hard work. Thank you to Jessica Kelleher our STEAM Teacher and Grades 6-8 Librarian, for supporting this initiative and chaperoning the trip to the TRACK at New Balance. BFCCPS has participated in this event since 2021 as part of BFCCPS’s participation in Project Lead the Way.

The next day sixteen BFCCPS students in Grades Seven and Eight participated in the Massachusetts Science & Engineering Fair (MSEF). The event was held on May 9, 2026 at Clark University, Worcester. We are excited to recognize the following students who earned accolades:

● Cabot Grand Award: Aagam Shah and Chittesh Patel “Selective Capture of Harmful Pathogens Using a Mucin-Based Trapping Mechanism”

● Second Place Award: Dishita Noolu: “Does a natural bandage infused with healing and antibacterial ingredients promote faster skin recovery than a regular store-bought bandage”

● Third Place Award: Anagha Balagurumoorthy and Shreya Kirikera “Investigation of Pharmaceutical Waste in Public Water Systems”

● Honorable Mention: Mansha Khatri and Poorvi Rajaboyina “Freezing of Different Water Types”

● Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge Delegates: Aagam Shah and Chittesh Patel We are incredibly excited to share that Aagam Shah, Chittesh Patel and Dishita Noolu hav qualified to participate in a national event which will take place in the Fall of 2026.

Thank you to both Mr. Pontes-Macedo and Mrs. Nestor for their support and encouragement of our scientists.