At the beginning of this school year, Edina High School, Valley View, and South View students interested in science, math, engineering, and technology were given the chance to earn college credit for their coursework.
Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a pre-engineering and engineering technology program, gives up to three transferable college elective credits and up to six engineering credits from the University of Minnesota to each course. Students must get a 70 percent on the subject test and 85 percent or better in the class to be eligible. The University of Minnesota also offers special scholarships for PLTW students.
PLTW is a national program that gives students the skills they need “to be competitive in the 21st century workplace,” according to the course curriculums.
Junior Ben Albitz couldn’t agree more. “I liked POE [Principles of Engineering], because it gave me an understanding of what engineering could be, what I liked and disliked, and what I was good at and bad at. These really helped me narrow down what fields of engineering I’d like to pursue. If you have room in your schedule, you should try PLTW classes. They are fun and you might end up really liking engineering,” Albitz added.
Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Civil Engineering and Architecture and Digital Electronics are the courses offered through the program. “In Intro to Engineering (IED), we have a 3-D program called Inventor, where students can draw parts and assemble them using the software to have a virtual 3D version of a product. They learn how to design, measure, and assemble virtual products,” said Mrs. Jodi Ramirez, the Civil Engineering and Architecture teacher. “In Civil Engineering and Architecture (CEA), another PLTW course, The students learn how to design houses and libraries through the REVIT Computer-Aided Design program. They design several structures and learn architectural skills and civil engineering calculations along the way,” she said.
The Edina High School district has over 1,000 students participating in the PLTW program. Last year, 85% of the students earned college credit.
According to Mrs. Ramirez, classrooms this year “ran full all six periods with 30 students in each class.” However, she hopes that the program will expand. “We have room to grow,” she said. Mrs. Ramirez also hopes that students understand that they will have the tools in class to become successful. “We offer lots of in class help and work time. Students receive as much time as possible to become successful.”