Commissioner Pedro Martinez Visits Try It Day at Higgins Middle School
- Carrie Wihbey
- Jan 30
- 2 min read
by Carrie Wihbey
Earlier this month, WPS Institute partnered with Higgins Middle School in Peabody, Massachusetts, to host Try It Day, a hands-on learning experience designed to help sixth graders explore future possibilities in ways that feel real, local, and within reach. We were honored to welcome Pedro Martinez, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, whose visit reinforced a message we care deeply about: career-connected learning belongs in the middle grades.
Try It Day invites students to step into the worlds of work and possibility long before those pathways are formally presented to them. Throughout the day, students engaged with a wide range of local professionals, including Verizon technicians, artists, architects, counselors, COOs, and team members from The Greater Boston Food Bank, alongside many other community volunteers. These conversations made careers tangible, human, and accessible, helping students imagine futures they may not yet have known were possible.
Commissioner Martinez, who is also the parent of a sixth grader and a ninth grader, shared that he visits approximately four schools each week, nearly 60 school visits over the past six months. During his time at Higgins, he spoke directly with students and educators, listening closely to their experiences. One message he shared with staff especially stayed with us:
“We have to create the conditions for you to be successful.” - Commissioner Pedro Martinez
That idea sits at the heart of our work at WPS Institute. We partner with schools to help create the conditions where students feel known, capable, and future-ready, and where educators feel supported in designing learning that truly matters.
Try It Day also offers a powerful example of how local experiences can bring statewide priorities to life. Commissioner Martinez’s educational vision calls for learning environments where:
All students are known and valued
Learning experiences are relevant, real-world, and interactive
Individualized supports enable students to excel at grade level and beyond
In Peabody, we saw those priorities come alive through relationships, curiosity, and shared purpose.
We are deeply grateful to DESE and the Peabody community for showing up in partnership, and to the many educators and community members who made this day possible. Special thanks to Commissioner Pedro Martinez, Deputy Commissioner Robert Curtin, Ann Marie Stronach, Julia Lucas, Superintendent Josh Vadala, Principal Todd Bucey, Assistant Principal Justin Viator, Mike Hawes, Joan Lovely, Tom Walsh, Sally Kerans, and Chloe Mitchell.
Days like Try It Day remind us that when schools, communities, and systems work together, middle grade students do not just learn about the future, they begin to see themselves in it.