EACSD receives Project Lead The Way certification for STEM Education Program

Kee High School in Lansing recently announced that it has received national certification for its Project Lead The Way (PLTW) program that has been offered since 2010. PLTW, a non-profit organization and the nation’s leading provider of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education programs, offers a rigorous world-class curriculum that allows students to apply what they are learning in math and science class to real-life engineering and technology projects.
PLTW also prides itself on high-quality professional development of its teachers and an engaged network of business, community and university partners to give students the fullest experience.
The national PLTW recognition program distinguishes schools for successfully demonstrating a commitment to PLTW’s national standards. Additionally, certification as a PLTW school provides students with the opportunity to apply for college credit or receive college-level recognition at PLTW affiliate universities when they successfully complete select PLTW courses in high school. PLTW has more than 40 affiliate colleges and university partners, including the University of Iowa and Iowa State University.
Mary Hogan, principal of Kee High School said, “We have seen how the PLTW program draws more students to engineering and technology courses and gets them thinking about college and their careers. We are extremely proud to be PLTW certified and happy that our students may now be eligible for college-level recognition."
As part of the recognition process, a team composed of administration, teachers, staff, students and members of the community submitted a self-assessment of the school’s implementation of PLTW’s Pathway To Engineering (PTE) program. A site visit by a PLTW-trained team followed. PLTW’s team met with teachers, school administrators, counselors, students and members of the school’s Partnership Team.
A PLTW school’s Partnership Team (sometimes referred to as an Advisory Council) is comprised of teachers, counselors, administrators, post-secondary representatives, business and industry professionals, and other community members who actively support the PLTW program within a school.
Jeannine Hisel, Kee High School guidance counselor added, “The beauty of PLTW courses is that our students get to experience how a concept they learned in science applies to real-world projects. Rather than sit passively and listen to a lecture, kids are building, developing, and creating. It’s the kind of hands-on experience that will engage more students in science, technology, engineering and math - fields that they might otherwise never have considered.”
“Kee High School should be congratulated for demonstrating once again its commitment to PLTW’s quality standards,” said PLTW President and CEO Vince Bertram. “The real winners here, however, are the students. Students benefit from PLTW’s innovative, project-based curriculum that encourages creativity, problem solving and critical thinking. We look forward to many more years of working together to prepare Kee High students to become the most innovative and productive in the world.”
For more information on PLTW, contact Jennifer Cahill at the national office at 317-669-0871 or jcahill@pltw.org.