Middlesboro High School is in it’s second year of offering Project Lead The Way’s (PLTW) programs in Engineering and Air and Space Sciences, for the 2015-16 school year. PLTW is the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. MHS joins more than 6,500 other schools across the U.S. in offering PLTW programs. Through these PLTW pathways, students at MHS learn to apply engineering, science, math, and technology to solve complex, open-ended problems in a real-world context. Students focus on the process of defining and solving a problem, not on getting the "right" answer. They learn how to apply STEM knowledge, skills, and habits to make the world a better place through innovation. Even for students who do not plan to pursue engineering or medicine after high school, the PLTW program provides opportunities to develop highly- transferable skills in collaboration, communication, and critical thinking, which are relevant for any university coursework or career.
“In our program, students have the opportunity to develop the practical, in-demand skills that employers need. For example, in our Engineering Program, they explore simulated real-world problems, brainstorm solutions, and apply innovative engineering concepts,” says Luke Gilly, the MHS PLTW Academy Teacher. PTLW students participate in exciting and rigorous activities; in the 2014-15 school year, PLTW engineering students competed with peers around the country to design a brief for a more efficient wheel system for a steel-grade train. The students collaborated to find creative solutions under simulated budget constraints, and presented their proposal to a class in New York state.
In addition to providing world-class K-12 STEM programs, PLTW provides high-quality professional development training that equips teachers with the content, skills, and pedagogy required to teach each PLTW course. This past July, Luke attended Duke University for an intensive graduate course in the Principles of Engineering. Upon his return to Middlesboro, Luke has applied his newly-gained skills and expertise to the benefit of his PLTW students.
Additionally, school-based PLTW Partnership Teams complement the curriculum by recruiting local business and industry professionals to serve as mentors and share their real-world experiences with students.
“It’s a very exciting, hands-on class. says Jesse Hatfield, a sophomore in his second year in the program. “It gives you all kinds of opportunities, and prepares you for the future in new, different ways,”
For more information on Middlesboro Independent High School’s PLTW Engineering program or to set up a school visit, contact Luke Gilly at (606) 242-8820. Pictured is a team of freshmen PLTW students working on designing a sound projection wall for the Central Auditorium stage.