NEW GLARUS - High School students are now eligible to receive college credits at some universities for certain "Pathway to Engineering" courses.
The New Glarus school district announced Friday that it received national certification for the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) program, which the school has offered since 2008.
The program is a national, non-profit organization, which provides science, technology, engineering and math education for middle schools and high schools. The curriculum allows students to apply what they are learning in math and science classes to real-life engineering and technology projects.
"The beauty of PLTW courses is that our kids get to experience how a formula they learned in math applies to a real project. In class, there are no lectures - kids are building, developing and creating. That is the kind of hands-on experience that will engage more students in fields that they might otherwise never consider," said Rebekah Marchilena, New Glarus science teacher.
Over 35 affiliate college and university PLTW partners, including Milwaukee School of Engineering in Wisconsin, offer students credit for completing five PLTW courses in high school.
New Glarus presently offers five courses for the 191 students in grades 7-12 enrolled in PLTW classes. Students outside the New Glarus School district may also apply for the courses.
In the high school, students spend 7.5 hours per week, in each class.
"Many of our students have taken multiple PLTW courses, and therefore spend more time in the program," Marchilena said.
Students who enroll in PLTW courses also gain experience through internships and local business executives who serve as mentors.
The courses are monitored like any other course, with exams and projects, according to Marchilena.
"But similarly to AP courses, if the students wish to receive college credit, they must complete and pass the college-level exam at the end of the course," she added.
The program costs vary from class to class, like many of other classes in the school.
"They are very comparable to other courses common in high school," Marchilena said. "The most significant cost is the additional one-time costs to send the staff for PLTW training."
Teachers of the PLTW program are required to complete a two-week professional development course during the summer before they can teach a PLTW course.
New Glarus School District won a three-year grant from the Kern Family Foundation to offset the start-up and consumable costs of the program.
The grant was $35,000 - $55,000 for the first year and $10,000 for each subsequent year, according to Jason Tadlock, principal of New Glarus Middle/High School.
"We've seen how the PLTW program draws more students to engineering and technology courses and gets them thinking about college and their career," said Tadlock. "In addition, the PLTW courses are an excellent way for students to see real-life application of science and math concepts they learn in their other courses."
The New Glarus school district announced Friday that it received national certification for the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) program, which the school has offered since 2008.
The program is a national, non-profit organization, which provides science, technology, engineering and math education for middle schools and high schools. The curriculum allows students to apply what they are learning in math and science classes to real-life engineering and technology projects.
"The beauty of PLTW courses is that our kids get to experience how a formula they learned in math applies to a real project. In class, there are no lectures - kids are building, developing and creating. That is the kind of hands-on experience that will engage more students in fields that they might otherwise never consider," said Rebekah Marchilena, New Glarus science teacher.
Over 35 affiliate college and university PLTW partners, including Milwaukee School of Engineering in Wisconsin, offer students credit for completing five PLTW courses in high school.
New Glarus presently offers five courses for the 191 students in grades 7-12 enrolled in PLTW classes. Students outside the New Glarus School district may also apply for the courses.
In the high school, students spend 7.5 hours per week, in each class.
"Many of our students have taken multiple PLTW courses, and therefore spend more time in the program," Marchilena said.
Students who enroll in PLTW courses also gain experience through internships and local business executives who serve as mentors.
The courses are monitored like any other course, with exams and projects, according to Marchilena.
"But similarly to AP courses, if the students wish to receive college credit, they must complete and pass the college-level exam at the end of the course," she added.
The program costs vary from class to class, like many of other classes in the school.
"They are very comparable to other courses common in high school," Marchilena said. "The most significant cost is the additional one-time costs to send the staff for PLTW training."
Teachers of the PLTW program are required to complete a two-week professional development course during the summer before they can teach a PLTW course.
New Glarus School District won a three-year grant from the Kern Family Foundation to offset the start-up and consumable costs of the program.
The grant was $35,000 - $55,000 for the first year and $10,000 for each subsequent year, according to Jason Tadlock, principal of New Glarus Middle/High School.
"We've seen how the PLTW program draws more students to engineering and technology courses and gets them thinking about college and their career," said Tadlock. "In addition, the PLTW courses are an excellent way for students to see real-life application of science and math concepts they learn in their other courses."