Brown County Schools is now nationally recognized for providing “transformative learning opportunities” to students in every school through its Project Lead the Way courses.
It was recently announced that the school district is one of 17 school districts nationwide to be named a Project Lead the Way Distinguished District for 2020-2021.
Project Lead the Way is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of students from preschool to 12th grade along with teachers across the country.
From kindergarten through fifth grade, students participate in the PLTW Launch program, and the PLTW Gateway program in middle school. At the high school, students have the opportunity to take biomedical, engineering and computer science PLTW courses.
Project Lead the Way courses are different from traditional classes. They focus on activities, solving problems and projects. There’s very little lecturing and the students drive the curriculum.
“We firmly believe that our commitment to teaching Project Lead the Way at all levels ignites student engagement and results in student ownership of learning,” said Deborah Harman, director of student learning and services.
“In addition, the potential economic impact regionally from inspiring future engineers, biomedical professionals and technology specialists is exponential.”
Harman applied for the distinction. The news was announced at the June 24 Brown County Schools Board of Trustees meeting.
“We teach a lot of Project Lead the Way for a district our size. It is a huge commitment on the part of teachers when it comes to training and it’s a huge commitment on the part of the district when it comes to money,” she told the board.
“But kids benefit and really, really, really get a lot of out of these courses.”
The national recognition means the district will soon have another banner to hang.
“You have some really well-kept secrets here,” Interim Superintendent Jim Halik said on June 24.
“This is just one other way to accentuate the positives that are going on here and to help the brand of your district, because this is newsworthy and the kind of thing that people within and outside of the district should recognize and be proud of.”
The recognition “honors districts committed to increasing student access, engagement and achievement in their PLTW programs,” a press release states.
Brown County Schools had to have 20 percent or more of its students in each grade, from preschool to 12th grade, participate in a PLTW program during this school year, according to the press release.
“Through PLTW programs, students develop in-demand knowledge and skills that they will use both in school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take,” the press release states.
As students progress through the different PLTW courses they “are empowered to engage in problem-solving and process thinking, develop technical knowledge and skills, build communication skills and explore career opportunities.”
“It is a great honor to recognize Helmsburg Elementary School, Sprunica Elementary School, Van Buren Elementary School, Brown County Intermediate School, Brown County Junior High School and Brown County High School for their unwavering commitment to provide students with an excellent educational experience despite the unusual circumstances and unique challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presented to the educational landscape this past year,” said Vince Bertram, president and CEO of PLTW.
“They should be very proud of their achievements in unlocking their students’ potential and equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom no matter what career path they choose.”
