A group of Rock Port Elementary students gather with Project Lead the Way CEO Vince Bertram to accept their award for being named a PLTW Distinguished School. To celebrate, the school held a special reception with pizza for students and their families before showing everyone their STEM projects.

Rock Port R-II Elementary has been recognized as a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students through PLTW [Computer Science, Biomedical Science, Engineering].

It is one of just 64 schools across the U.S. to receive this honor. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S.

“PLTW Launch has been instrumental in helping us develop problem-solving and teamwork skills within our students as they learn to collaborate together to solve real-life problems.   The program has also challenged our teachers to step back and give students the space to work through these modules.  Students are learning through discovery, taking on a “fail forward” attitude, and developing greater perseverance and grit on their journey to creating a solution to each module,” said Rock Port Elementary Principal Steve Waigand.

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, Rock Port R-II had to meet several requirements, including at least three PLTW courses; have 25 percent of students or more participate in PLTW courses and have 70 percent of students or more earn a Proficient or higher on PLTW End-of-Course Assessments. Through PLTW programs, students develop STEM knowledge as well as in-demand, transportable skills that they will use both in school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

“It is a great honor to recognize Rock Port for their commitment to students,” said Vince Bertram, President and CEO of PLTW. “They are a model for what school should look like, and they should be very proud of ensuring students have the knowledge and skills to be career ready and successful on any career path they choose.”

Rock Port RII School is part of a community of PreK-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/our-programs/program-recognition.

Project Lead The Way is a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for PreK-12 students and teachers across the U.S. PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. Approximately 11,500 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs. For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit pltw.org.