Central, Van Duyn recognized as Distinguished Project Lead the Way schools

May 6—Central and Van Duyn elementary schools have been recognized as 2023-24 Project Lead The Way Distinguished Schools, South Vermillion Community School Corp. has announced..

The honor is given to a select number of elementary schools across the U.S. for providing broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through PLTW Launch, an elementary STEM curriculum.

PLTW is a national nonprofit organization that serves millions of pre-K to 12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S., aiming to make every child in every grade STEM successful.

"We applaud our elementary STEM programs at Central and Van Duyn for their outstanding commitment to excellence in STEM education," said Melanie Beaver, SVCS director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

"Students in all grade levels experience critical thinking and collaboration while advancing real-world problem-solving skills," she said. "We are excited for the role the PLTW curriculum plays in preparing our students for an innovation-driving economy and society."

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, Central and Van Duyn had to have more than 75% of the student body participating in the program and had to offer at least one PLTW Launch module at each grade level during the 2022-23 school year.

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.