North Andover Middle School Teacher Named To Kennedy Institute Panel

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Patrick McGravey, a social studies teacher at North Andover Middle School, has been named to the nationwide Teacher Advisory Panel at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate in Boston, the institute announced Thursday.

McGravey will serve on the seven-member panel during the 2022-23 school year. The group is tasked with developing and enhancing the Kennedy Institute’s education programs.

Located at 210 Morrissey Blvd. at Boston’s Columbia Point, the Kennedy Institute has welcomed more than 100,000 students for in-person and online civics education classes since it opened in 2015.

The institute features a one-of-a-kind, full-scale replica of the US Senate chamber, which is home to the “Senator for a Day” program. The program, which is led by non-partisan instructors, allows students to learn about the legislative process by taking on the role of a US senator and debating, shaping and voting on mock legislation.

“As a civics teacher, I believe that the Kennedy Institute is one of the best places for students to actively apply what they know about civics to a ‘real world’ situation,” McGravey said. “Schools and teachers need to know about this asset that in a perfect world, all Grade 8 civics students would participate in during their education.”

McGravey continued: “Twenty-five years ago when I started teaching, a field trip was all about the scavenger hunt or a guided tour, but with the Kennedy Institute, it is truly an interactive experience that is like no other. One of my goals is to communicate this message to as many people as I can to promote high-quality civic education through the Kennedy Institute and its programs.”

Gregg Gilligan, the superintendent of North Andover Public Schools, said he was pleased that McGravey was selected for the panel.

“I am not at all surprised at his appointment,” Gilligan said. “This is another demonstration of (McGravey’s) deep commitment from him as a teacher to providing his students with the most engaging and inspiring educational experiences he can, including in civic education and in learning how our government and democracy work.”

More information about civic education programs at the Kennedy Institute — which are offered both in-person and online and are free to public school students from all 50 states — is available online.