Project Lead The Way (PLTW) celebrated the release of “Small School, Large Impact,” a profile of Washington High School that demonstrates the impact PLTW has had in preparing students for career opportunities after high school. As the smallest school in Indiana to offer all three PLTW pathways in engineering, biomedical science, and computer science, and one of the smallest in the nation, the distinguished PLTW program at Washington High School has been selected based on its exemplary work in preparing students with the necessary knowledge and skills for career success. The celebration on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 included a brief presentation, a tour of PLTW classrooms, and a reception.
There were over a hundred former, current, and future PLTW students who attended the presentation and listened to a special video message from Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner and heard inspiring words from Vince about the importance of being life-long learners and honing the transportable skills developed in PLTW classes for enduring careers.
The excitement from students was palpable as they led tours of PLTW classrooms at Washington High School for local officials, community leaders, and PLTW Team Members showcasing their recent work in coding, robotics, and engineering.
Gwen, a student who is currently a sophomore in the PLTW Biomedical Science and Engineering pathways, led one of the tours. She shared one of the biggest takeaways for her was how “PLTW doesn’t feel like school at all“ and “it’s so fun to be in a classroom that provides the opportunity to learn things [like forensics] that I never thought I’d learn about in high school.”
To fulfill Washington High School’s need for career and STEM skills development and work readiness training for students, many of the classes utilize curriculum developed by PLTW, and nearly one third of Washington High School students are enrolled in a PLTW course. For reference, only five percent of PLTW high schools with enrollment counts between 500 and 1,000 have more than one-third of students enrolled in a PLTW course. We also found that Washington High School had a higher percentage of students who believed they were better with technology after taking PLTW. In fact, eighty-nine percent of PLTW students reported an increase in technology skills after taking PLTW courses.
The data is undeniable. Washington High School sets a precedent for enhancing PLTW’s relevant learning experiences by connecting students with career opportunities after high school.
For more in-depth information, click here to access the Washington High School Impact Profile.
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PLTW provides PreK-12 schools, teachers, and students with hands-on, interdisciplinary STEM-based curriculum that uniquely prepares students for life and their future careers.
PLTW rejuvenates teachers, providing world-class experiences that keep them on the forefront of how to prepare students for the demands of tomorrow. PLTW:
Learn more about PLTW on pltw.org