FOXBOROUGH, Mass.- Natick High School science teacher Doug Scott was honored today as The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon Massachusetts STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) Teacher of the Year at the annual STEM Summit. He was presented with a crystal trophy and his school received $5,000 to be used for STEM education during the summit at Worcester's DCU Center.

"I am honored to be named The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year," Scott said. "I'd like to thank the Kraft family for their commitment to STEM education and for recognizing teachers for the work we do." Scott, a resident of Stow, has a long list of accomplishments at Natick High School, where he has taught since 2003. He created a new STEM curriculum, created and developed an IT and robotics program, was the technology curriculum leader for three years, worked with a peer to develop a "Greengineering" program and designed four STEM spaces within the school. He also established a Pearson VUE Testing Center for student IT certifications, as well as leading many other innovative projects that have propelled student achievement.

"Teaching is about relationships with students and putting ownership on them," Scott said. "It's important to instill humor into things and let the kids fail during a project. I tell my students, 'Fail quickly,' so they can find solutions." This past spring, Scott and his students, as part of the Natick High School Lemelson MIT InvenTeam, participated in the White House Science Fair where they met President Barack Obama. The team built a robot that can help firefighters and rescue teams search for objects or bodies that have fallen through the ice into freezing waters. It was tested by Massachusetts firefighters and recognized by Gov. Deval Patrick and President Obama. The students have filed for a US patent. "Passion is contagious and students feed off that," Scott said.

While Scott is a Lemelson MIT Master Teacher and has worked on several projects with students, including the discovery of early-1900s ship wrecks, robotics is a focus. He conducted a Girls Robotics Day to establish female participation in STEM and also hosted a Girl Scout robotics event as well as an introductory event for young children.

"Doug Scott is more than a teacher," said Bryan Morry, executive director of The Hall at Patriot Place. "He is a coach in every sense of the word. His ability to reach his students is obvious and his willingness to commit time outside the classroom to improve and help students do the same is exceptional. His list of accomplishments can't be summed up quickly. Congratulations to Mr. Scott and Natick High School for this excellent and well-deserved recognition."

Scott was named 2014 STEM Teacher of the Year by The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year Committee. The other four finalists for the award were Jason Dimen from Blanchard Memorial School in Boxborough, Tanya Erban from North Attleboro Middle School, Thomas Hayes from Charlestown High School in Boston, Jeremy Mularella from Oak Middle School in Shrewsbury. These four teachers each received a check for $1,000 from Raytheon for their respective schools. Morry thanked fellow selection committee members Allison Scheff and Keith Connors from the Department of Education and Pam Erickson from Raytheon for their work in selecting this year's STEM Teacher of the Year.

"Working to select a winner requires them to commit time and energy within their already busy schedules," Morry said. "Their work shows they believe honoring great STEM teachers is important."

The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon awarded its first Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year in 2013. The inaugural winner was Kelly Powers, a computer science teacher from the Advanced Math & Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough.

The Hall and Raytheon partner to promote STEM education through engaging hands-on STEM modules.

ABOUT THE HALL AT PATRIOT PLACE PRESENTED BY RAYTHEON

The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon is the crown jewel of Patriot Place and the only sports and education experience of its kind. Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts never before viewable by the public, The Hall showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England, and promotes math and science education for thousands of schoolchildren each year. The Hall received a Gold MUSE Award from the American Association of Museums and The Hall's signature film, "Patriots Way," won a CINE Golden Eagle Award. The Hall was named to Boston Globe Magazine's Best of the New, and was a Yankee magazine Editor's Choice recommendation. Tickets to The Hall are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children 5-12. Children 4 and under are admitted for free. The current hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit TheHallatPatriotPlace.com, visit "The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon" on Facebook or follow @TheHall on Twitter.