Just 133 high schools across the U.S. have received this honor.
The Lenape Regional High School District announces that Lenape and Seneca high schools have each been recognized as a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students through PLTW Engineering. Just 133 high schools across the U.S. have received this honor.
“Our Project Lead The Way students are participating in learning opportunities designed to engage them in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math; inspire them to pursue in-demand careers in these fields; and prepare them with skills, such as critical- thinking and problem-solving, that they can apply to just about anything they do in life,” said LRHSD Superintendent Carol Birnbohm, Ed.D. “The students who choose to dedicate many of their electives to Project Lead The Way courses often do so to get a jumpstart on exploring career pathways in STEM and working toward the educational requirements for those careers.”
PLTW seniors at Lenape and Seneca high schools verified that many will go on to pursue either engineering or another STEM career. In fact, 85 percent of the Seneca High School students enrolled in the four-year PLTW Engineering program said that they plan to attend a four-year college/university where they will major in engineering. The majority of the Lenape High School students from the PLTW program — 75 percent — indicated that they plan to pursue a STEM career.
The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, the schools had to meet the following criteria:
- Offer at least three PLTW courses;
- Have 25 percent of students or more participate in PLTW courses, or of those who participated in PLTW, at least 33 percent took two or more PLTW courses;
- Have 70 percent of students or more earn a Proficient or higher on PLTW End-of- Course Assessments, or 10 percent of students earn the AP + PLTW Student Achievement.
All schools recognized had students taking the course Engineering Development and Design, which is offered in the fourth year of the PLTW Engineering Program. The other two schools in the Lenape Regional High School District, Cherokee and Shawnee high schools, are in their third years of offering the program and, therefore, will be eligible for this honor next year.
Through PLTW programs, students develop STEM knowledge as well as in-demand, transportable skills that they will use both in school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take. PLTW EngineeringTM specifically empowers high school students to step into the role of an engineer and adopt a problem-solving mindset. Students engage in collaborative, real-life activities like working with a client to design a home, programming electronic devices or robotic arms, and exploring algae as a biofuel source.
“It is a great honor to recognize both Lenape and Seneca high schools for their commitment to students,” said Vince Bertram, president and CEO of PLTW. “They are a model for what school should look like, and they should be very proud of ensuring students have the knowledge and skills to be career-ready and successful on any career path they choose.”
For more information about PLTW’s recognition program, visit pltw.org/our- programs/program-recognition.
