This year Liberty and Freedom high schools have joined thousands of schools across the nation in implementing a pre-engineering program provided by Project Lead the Way, a national nonprofit organization that provides science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program curriculum to schools. The PLTW program focuses on STEM-based, hands-on learning, where students gain real-life experience in the engineering field before entering either college-level programs or skilled trades such as precision machining.

Liberty teachers Mark Hoffman, Walter Marshaleck and Kristin Stuby, and Freedom teacher Alexandra Roscher are teaching the PLTW courses, which are elective classes that cannot replace any of the core subjects students are required to take. The program is a progression through a series of classes, which begins with two foundation courses, Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering, and continues with specialization courses including aerospace engineering, biotechnical engineering, civil engineering and architecture, computer integrated manufacturing, and digital electronics.

The capstone course, engineering design and development, allows students the freedom to design and create their own projects utilizing the knowledge and skills they developed throughout the program. Most students will begin the program in ninth grade and continue through 12th. Roscher noted that the final exam is similar to an AP exam and can be submitted to universities for college credit.

In both schools, the maximum permitted class size is 20 students, although that may be expanded in the future as the program grows. Keeping the class size small is important due to the nature of curriculum and the level of technology necessary. The district invested in 3D printers and computer lab stations capable of accommodating the advanced modeling software necessary for running engineering design programs used in professional industry. Many introductory college-level courses utilize these same programs, so mastering the software in high school provides students with a competitive advantage.

Hoffman described some of the projects this technology is used for in the current introduction course, including sketching and drawing designs in notebooks similar to actual procedures in professional industry and transferring these to computer programs. The statistical and dimensional analysis necessary to designing, testing, manufacturing and replicating products is also emphasized.

Roscher added that another important aspect of the program is building the collaborative and communication skills necessary to be successful in industry. Students learn about their individual strengths and work in groups to further develop these skills, as well as utilize Powerpoint presentations to communicate about their designs. When students graduate from the program, they are not only equipped with specialized technical knowledge about engineering disciplines and software, but they also have developed crucial business-oriented skills in marketing and selling products.

While the PLTW program is a tremendous amount of work for students and teachers alike, students interested in pursuing a profession in engineering leave high school with a sophisticated understanding of the industry to prepare them for college and careers.