Pacific, MO– Meramec Valley R-III School District announced today that Pacific High School has been recognized as a 2020-21 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School. It is one of just 204 schools across the U.S. to receive this honor for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students through PLTW Launch. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S.
Dr. Carrie Schwierjohn, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction said, “The district is thrilled to receive this national recognition for Pacific High School from Project Lead the Way (PLTW). The MVR-III school district shares PLTW's commitment to providing transformative learning experiences for our students through engaging, hands-on classroom learning environments. Our MVR-III teachers and staff do an amazing job of utilizing the PLTW curriculum and platform to support and empower students in developing skills for their futures as critical and creative thinkers. I commend our board of education for their vision and our staff for their hard work in expanding our course offerings to include such future-ready and innovative opportunities for our students, and I am so proud that PLTW has recognized these achievements in our district as well.”
The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, Pacific High School had to have more than 75 percent of the student body participating in the program and had to offer at least two PLTW Launch modules at each grade level during the 2020-21 school year. For the 2021-22 school year, MVR-III School District is expanding PLTW courses and content into PreK-5th grades as well.
Studies show that students decide as early as elementary school whether they like, and think they are good at, math and science. Whether designing a car safety belt or building digital animations based on their own short stories, PLTW Launch students engage in critical and creative thinking, build teamwork skills, and develop a passion for and confidence in STEM subjects.
“It is a great honor to recognize Pacific 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 Dr. 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.”
For more information about PLTW’s recognition program, visit pltw.org/our-programs/program-recognition.