A national nonprofit organization, Project Lead the Way, is recognizing Hadley Elementary School for a focus on making every child successful in science, technology, engineering and math.
The school recently was named as a 2023-24 Project Lead The Way Distinguished School, which is given to elementary schools across the United States that provide broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through its PLTW Launch.
“This recognition demonstrates the commitment of our faculty, staff and principals to provide the best possible learning experiences for our students,” Superintendent Anne McKenzie said in a statement. “PLTW provides rigorous learning through fun, collaborative and engaging activities.”
The importance of STEM comes as careers in those fields are growing more rapidly than in other fields. In addition, studies show that students decide as early as elementary school whether they like, and think they are good at math and science. PLTW Launch students engage in critical and creative thinking, build teamwork skills, and develop a passion for and confidence in STEM subjects, with some of the topics including designing a car safety belt or building digital animations based on their own short stories.
To be eligible for the designation, the school had to have more than 75% of the student body participating in the program and had to offer at least one PLTW Launch module at each grade level in the 2022-23 school year.
“We are honored to recognize Hadley Elementary School for their commitment to providing students with exceptional educational experiences while ensuring equitable access to PLTW programs,” PLTW President and CEO David Dimmett said in a statement.
