PLTW CERTIFICATION PRESS RELEASE

“As the new economy unfolds, we need to place greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math programs like Project Lead the Way.  This will help our Lincoln students to get into the mainstream of the ever-changing technology world. This type of educational investment is critical as we build a stronger community and state.”

~ Jim Linderholm, chair, Greater Lincoln Workforce Investment Board

“Our country's President has called for more engineers to advance U.S. leadership into the 22nd century. With the state of Nebraska's only College of Engineering, UNL takes on this responsibility as a privilege and a challenge, and we are eager to work with Project Lead The Way to help ensure achievable next steps on that important path for the future of our young people.”

~ Jim O’Hanlon, interim dean, College of Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

LPS shines in new certified lessons of engineering, electronics!

This spring Lincoln Southwest High School senior Joana Torres will be the first person in her family to graduate from high school – and she’s headed for a career in engineering thanks to advanced lessons in Career and Technical Education provided at Lincoln Public Schools.

Joana has been accepted into the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and says her high school experiences have inspired her to be an engineer, “taking advanced math classes and taking classes like Introduction to Engineering and Design, Foundations of Industrial Technology and Furniture Construction.”

“I would like to make my parents’ dream of me graduating from both high school and college – happen,” Joana said.  “I would like to make them proud because of what they have done for us to make a better life than what they had.”

Joana is not alone in her awe of career and technical opportunities at Lincoln Public Schools. 

Young future engineers take heart:  A fully developed curriculum for high school students interested in engineering, electronics – and other applied math and science areas – has achieved national certification recently in the School District.  As a result LPS is moving ahead to offer all high school students – at all six high schools – the option of taking eight semester courses through a national program called Project Lead the Way (PLTW).

“This is a significant achievement for the School District,” LPS Superintendent Steve Joel said. “It presents our students with a wide variety of new opportunities in high school, as well as new opportunities for us to collaborate with the university.”  

“This is cutting edge education, integrating college and career readiness,” according to Eric Knoll, assistant curriculum specialist at LPS for Career and Technical Education in Industrial Technology.  “These courses in Industrial Technology allow our high school science and math students, as well as all LPS high school students, to explore and actually apply their math and science curriculum with real-world learning.”

The eight-semester sequence of courses gives high school students a solid foundation in the field of engineering and related areas.  Further, those who complete each two-semester block will have an opportunity to take a national examination and receive dual college credit toward a degree at many area universities.

Now certified, LPS has five years to fully implement the program.  “Our plan is to build upon the 12 teachers trained in this curriculum and open all Project Lead the Way courses to students from across the community,” Knoll explained.

LPS now offers Project Lead the Way courses in Introduction to Engineering Design and Digital Electronics – with help from representatives of local industry who serve as advisors for the program, Knoll said. 

Certification will allow the School District to significantly expand the program and allow LPS students to:

• Receive training in current technology using the latest computer software and equipment in the industry.
• Participate in expanded hands-on, activity-oriented, real-world learning.
• Take courses that apply and reinforce their study of math and science.
• Explore a major career path that prepares them for further education and possible dual college credit.

For more information contact: Eric Knoll, 436-1857.

ITE 2010

East Cabinetmaking Places 2nd in National RTA Competition

Lincoln East's Advanced Cabinetmaking class under Mr. Jeff McCabe were chosen in May to compete in a Ready to Assemble furniture design competition
at the IWF International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta Georgia August 24-28 2010. As a WoodLinks school, four East seniors from the class of 2010 accompanied Mr. McCabe to Atlanta to compete in the four day show. Brad Pickerill, Nate Grabowski, Drew Zobel, and Taylor Kingsley all attended and manned the booth every day with judging taking place on Friday August 27. They were judged on a wide range of subjects including oral presentation, project quality, marketing plan, knowledge of manufacturing processes, business economics, and elements of design. The competition included 9 pieces of furniture from four high schools and one community college across the country. The judges were all industry and design professionals from the United States and Canada.

The contest prizes were all generously donated by top companies in the woodworking industry as sponsors and supporters of the IWF WoodLinks RTA contest. The second place prizes for the East woods lab and the student participants totaled over $4000. East placed 3rd at the IWF RTA in 2006 and qualified a piece in 2008 but were unable to attend due to the start date of school. Pictures of the trip and the show booth will be available on the East website in the near future.