Von Steuben MSC has offered Project Lead the Way classes since fall of 2012 with our pre-engineering track.
Project Lead the Way, nationally, is a STEM program offered at all elementary, middle and secondary grade levels. PLTW programs are offered in all 50 states and at over 6,000 schools. In addition to their school partnerships, PLTW organizes industry, government, community and university groups.
Vision The PLTW program at Von Steuben will serve as the foundation of STEM* centered academics. The PLTW program at Von Steuben will foster a culture of scientific practices that will prepare students to pursue a postsecondary education and/or career in STEM-related fields.
Mission Students from the PLTW program will be able to (1) apply the design process (2) acquire strong teamwork and communication efficiency (3) develop organizational, critical thinking and problem solving skills through access to the PLTW curriculum including the IED*, POE*, DE*, and EDD* courses.
Students in the PLTW program will be exposed to STEM-related fields through (1) field trips (2) internships through Von Steuben PLTW Partners (E.G. Opt4STEM) (3) guest speakers (4) summer STEM programs (5) engineering club and competitions (6) community outreach
Students in the PLTW program will experience interdisciplinary projects/ learning through joint collaboration of the school staff.
Introduction to Engineering Design
The first year class, typically taken by freshmen and sophomores, this class drives into the design process using students previous knowledge, instant challenges, and AutoDesk Inventor 3D modeling software. Some highlighted experiences/ projects are: the puzzle cube, MSI field trip, AutoDesk Certification tests and the toy train.
Digital Electronics
The third year class, typically taken by juniors and seniors, focuses on the major concepts that students will experience in the first year of their post-secondary pursuit in electronic engineering. Some highlighted experiences/ projects are: Random Number Generator, Voting Machine, and R&D STEM Challenge.
Principles of Engineering
This second year class, typically taken by sophomores, juniors and seniors, is a survey class over a variety of engineering fields including units on mechanics, electronics, structural and robotics. Some highlighted experiences/ projects are: hosting robotics competition, building/ calculating bridges, and an opportunity for attending the ESD shadowing day.
Engineering Design and Development
The fourth year class, typically taken by seniors, focuses on students taking leadership and action in their schooling. Students will design their very own engineering project that they will carry through the entire year. The year and project end with a showcase in front of a panel of engineers.