Tecumseh Public Schools announced today that five TPS schools have been recognized as a 2022-23 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for STEM curriculum and career readiness.
Sutton and Tecumseh Acres Early Learning Centers, Herrick Park and Patterson Intermediate Learning Centers, and Tecumseh Middle School have accepted the honor of being named a PLTW Distinguished School. This honor is for providing broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through PLTW. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of Pre K-12 students and teachers across the U.S.
TPS holds five of the 27 distinguished K-5 PLTW launch programs in Michigan, and Tecumseh Middle School is one of 212 schools in the nation to receive this honor.
"The district leadership has made it a priority to provide more opportunities for students in the areas of STEM and career exploration,” said the director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment Meghan Way.
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, TPS’s elementary schools and Tecumseh Middle School had to have more than 75 percent of the student body participating in the program. They had to offer at least one PLTW Launch module at each grade level during the 2021-22 school year.
“The PLTW modules provide students with hands-on activities and projects that relate to real-world problems and careers,” said Tecumseh Acres Early Learning Center STEM teacher Amanda Spohn. “The learning is integrated as it blends computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more."
Tecumseh Public Schools offers PLTW for all kindergarten through sixth-grade students and as an elective option for seventh- and eighth-grade students. Topics include flight and space, automation and robotics, green architecture, coding, and the power of electrons.
“The Project Lead the Way Curriculum has been in place at the secondary level for several years. More recently, we have implemented the program for all students at the elementary level, pushing us into the Distinguished Schools category,” said Way. “We are honored to receive this recognition and look forward to continued growth in our PLTW course offerings."
PLTW also addresses social-emotional learning through countless opportunities to collaborate and communicate with others while working toward a common goal.
“Students are introduced to various careers and build transportable skills including problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, and ethical reasoning and mindset,” Spohn said. “Through PLTW, we are helping students become citizens engaged in meaningful ways in their communities and beyond."
Sutton ELC, Tecumseh Acres ELC, Herrick Park ILC, Patterson ILC, and Tecumseh Middle School are all part of a community of Pre K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporate and philanthropic partners across the country united around a passion for providing students with inspiring, engaging, and empowering learning opportunities. For more information about PLTW’s recognition program, visit pltw.org.
