Project Lead The Way teacher at Greenfield-Central High School, Danny Naegeli, works on a lab project with students from his Principle Biomed Science class.
GREENFIELD — Greenfield-Central High School was recently recognized as a Project Lead The Way Distinguished School for the 2022-23 school year.
It was one of 262 high schools across the country to receive the honor this year for providing broad access to transformative learning experiences through Project Lead The Way, a nonprofit organization that develops STEM curriculum for use by elementary, middle and high schools in the United States.
The nonprofit serves millions of students and teachers in pre-K through 12th grade, in more than 12,200 schools across the United States.
“This recognition is a validation of the excellent experiences in STEM education that our students have had for many years at Greenfield-Central High School,” superintendent Harold Olin said.
“I am incredibly proud of our students and staff in our Project Lead The Way programs,” he said
Danny Naegeli, a STEM teacher at the high school, said the distinction is a testament to the students’ decision to challenge themselves by taking such upper-level classes.
“Their dedication to learning is what makes this possible,” he said.
According to its website, PLTW.org, Project Lead The Way (PLTW) provides students and teachers with hands-on, interdisciplinary STEM-based curriculum that uniquely prepares students to thrive in life beyond the classroom.
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, eligible schools must have students enrolled in at least three PLTW courses, and have strategies in place that support reasonably proportional representation with regard to race, ethnicity, poverty and/or gender.
Eligible schools must also have 25 percent of students or more participate in PLTW courses, or of those who participated, having at least 33 percent who took two or more PLTW courses.
Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO, said to become a distinguished school demonstrates a strong commitment to student success.
“We are proud to recognize Greenfield-Central High School for their commitment to providing students with exceptional educational experiences while ensuring equitable access to PLTW programs,” he said.
“We congratulate them on this achievement and celebrate their important work empowering students with the knowledge and skills to succeed, not only in STEM subjects, but also more generally in life and career.”
