Feature Friday - Expanding PLTW to Students in Grades 5-8

This Feature Friday we are excited to share that WCS is expanding our Project Lead the Way STEM courses specifically for students in grades 5-8.

Starting in the fall of 2023, Washington Upper Elementary will offer PLTW Launch for the first time at the elementary level. Washington Jr. High School will add Automation & Robotics to their PLTW Gateway program, which currently offers App Creators, Medical Detectives, and Science of Technology courses.

PLTW Launch at Washington Upper Elementary allows students to be immersed in hands-on activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the real world. They experience integrated learning that blends computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more.

In Automation & Robotics at WJHS, students will learn about different aspects of automation and robotics and experience how solving real-life problems involves the teamwork of mechanical engineers, software developers, and electrical engineers.

Hatchet Ratchex Robotics Coach Tammy Delisle will participate in 40 hours of training in Indianapolis this summer to qualify to teach the course. "I'm very excited that our school is expanding the PLTW program,” she said. “Offering Automation and Robotics will allow our students the opportunity to identify problems and design solutions." Mrs. Delisle is also taking a Java Bootcamp through CodeHS and a Python Bootcamp during the summer to enhance her coding skills.

In PLTW classes in Washington Community Schools, students engage in hands-on, collaborative problem-solving focused on real-world challenges. All the while, students step into roles spanning the career landscape - a crucial experience during this transitional time in their lives.