Project Lead the Way (PLTW) has named Battlefield and Woodbridge High Schools 2023-24 distinguished schools. They are among only 10 schools in Virginia to receive this honor. PLTW distinguished program recognition celebrates schools committed to helping students own their education by increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs.

DeLores Lucas, principal of Battlefield High, expressed her pride in the award. “This recognition means we are preparing our students for a thriving future. When they have the opportunity to learn and apply skills relevant to their lives outside of school, they are more engaged and retain the learning in long-term memory,” she said.

Heather Abney, principal of Woodbridge High, highlighted the effectiveness of the PLTW program in preparing students for promising futures in engineering and related careers. “I’m proud of our PLTW teachers and their commitment to empowering our future leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed in STEM and beyond,” she said.

PLTW is a nationally recognized program designed to expose students to university engineering courses at the high school level. The program is the largest pre-engineering program in the United States.

Both Battlefield and Woodbridge have demonstrated their dedication to providing transformative learning experiences. By offering PLTW Engineering and Computer Science courses, they enable students to explore STEM disciplines and prepare for future careers.

Michael Spudic, PLTW teacher at Battlefield, explained, “This recognition sparks students’ interest in engineering. Project Lead the Way shows PWCS students that they belong in engineering. Every year, we hear from former students who are pursuing careers in engineering.”

PWCS offers PLTW Computer Science, Engineering, and Biomedical Sciences in our high schools. Classrooms are not traditional but are computer classrooms with portable power hand tools of a smaller scale that students use.