Northwest High School Receives $142,000 Grant to Implement Project Lead the Way

Northwest School District announced Monday that it is a recipient of a grant totalling approximately $142,000 to implement Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a  leading provider of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum. The grant is made available through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a Vocational-Technical Enhancement Grant.

See previous article and full course curriculum here.

Northwest will offer two fields of study beginning this fall. During the first year of implementation, one course in engineering and one course in bio-medical studies will offered at the high school. The following year, a second course will be added, continuing through the fourth year to reach the final implementation of a four-year program offering at least four classes in each field. This year’s incoming freshman class has the opportunity to take a total of four PTLW classes during its high school career.

Northwest's Executive Director of Secondary Education Mary Thomasson said in a news release from the district, “I am very excited to be offering both engineering and biomedical classes at NHS. We have more and more of our students interested in these two fields so we believe our students will benefit from these college and career-related classes. We will continue to investigate additional advanced level classes to allow students to pursue their interests.”

PLTW is a not-for-profit organization that promotes pre-engineering courses for high school students. PLTW forms partnerships with public schools, higher education institutions and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists. High schools can then offer a rigorous, relevant STEM classes. Through an engaging, hands-on curriculum, PLTW encourages the development of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creative and innovative reasoning by providing students with a foundation and proven path to college and career success in STEM-related fields.