On March 10th, 2026, one of Doherty’s standout Chapter 74 programs, the Engineering Technology Academy (ETA), hosted its annual Learning Fair! An evening full of creative students showcasing their talents, and a bit of friendly competition.
What is the ETA?
The Engineering Technology Academy at Doherty Memorial High School is a Chapter 74 program that is designed for students who are interested in pursuing engineering after graduation. This whole program is about building, designing, and solving-real world issues that get overlooked.
Through its partnership with Project Lead the Way (PLTW), ETA encourages students to dive into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and explore future careers in these fields.
Students even get the chance to develop their own Engineering Elective (EEA) projects, where they research, design, and build things like robots or automated systems. On top of that, qualifying students can participate in internships at places like businesses, hospitals and even WPI engineering labs,
So… What is a Learning Fair?
Just think of a Learning Fair as a show and tell where students get to showcase their hard work and give a quick background about it.
At the ETA Learning Fair students present projects from their five core classes:
- World History
- Math
- English
- Biology
- Engineering
All of these projects came together on a tri-fold board, giving parents a full look at the hard work students have put in.
Each class had it’s own different mission:
- World History: Students needed to create a timeline focusing on a type of transportation including 15 key dates related to their topic and 10 world events.
- Math: Students sketched their car designs on graph paper, which included a top, side and back views.
- English: Students needed to write a persuasive letter.
- Biology: Students need to create a slideshow about alternative fuels.
- Engineering: Students designed their cars using CAD and on paper, then built them out of wood; and of course, designed their tri-fold board.
We can’t forget the most exciting part… The Races. Students in different classes needed to compete against each other, and the fastest from each class advanced to the championship round, which was held at the Learning Fair!
Event Order
The event started off at 6:30 PM in the auditorium, where two outstanding ETA students gave a quick and engaging overview of the program and what everyone had been working on. A few ETA teachers also shared some words, celebrating the student’s efforts.
After the presentation, everyone moved to the cafeteria, where parents and students enjoyed refreshments and gathered for the final championship race.
The competition was intense, but in the end, one student claimed victory and took home the ultimate prize… a golden chain.
Afterward, Mr. Pineo, one of the ETA teachers, announced additional winners that were recognized for their amazing achievements. The event was wrapped up at 7:30 PM.
