WRENTHAM — Superintendent Rich Drolet and King Philip Regional Middle School Principal Michelle J. Kreuzer are pleased to announce that the King Philip Regional Middle School recently received grant funds from the One8 Foundation to offer an expanded curricular program from Project Lead The Way (PLTW) to support STEM career learning.
PLTW is a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for PreK-12 students and teachers through coursework in computer science, engineering and biomedical science.
King Philip Regional Middle School joins more than 300 schools in Massachusetts and 12,000 schools across the country offering PLTW programs to millions of students.
“We are thrilled that our students will have increased opportunities to participate in innovative learning experiences and using real-world scenarios,” Superintendent Rich Drolet said.
The grant funds will be used to implement two PLTW Gateway courses for the first time during the 2024-2025 school year at King Philip Regional Middle School. In the first unit offered, “Design and Modeling,” seventh-grade students will discover the design process and develop an understanding of the influence of creativity and innovation in their lives. Students will work in teams to design a toy or game for a child with cerebral palsy, test it, and make necessary modifications to optimize the design solution.
The second unit, called “App Creators” will be available to eighth graders. This unit will expose students to computer science by computationally analyzing and developing solutions to authentic problems through mobile app development and will convey the positive impact of the application of computer science to other disciplines and to society. Students will customize their experience by choosing a problem that interests them in the areas of health, environment, emergency preparedness, education, community service and school culture.
Funds from the grant will support teacher professional development and the purchase of materials and equipment that will be used in PLTW courses. In addition, as a school with PLTW programming in Massachusetts, each school will have access to a regular set of teacher professional development opportunities, student project showcases and connections to industry professionals offered by the Mass Learning Project and the One8 Applied Learning Hub.
“Students are hungry for experiences that allow them to apply what they are learning to solve real-world, meaningful problems,” said One8 Foundation President Joanna Jacobson. “Providing equitable access to hands-on applied learning programs that deliver academic gains while building critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills ensures students are engaged and interested in school and prepared for success in this ever-changing world.”
About Project Lead The Way
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a mission-driven organization that is transforming the learning experience for millions of PreK-12 students and thousands of teachers across the country. 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.
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