Project Lead the Way (PLTW) has named Battlefield, Gar-Field, Patriot, and Woodbridge High Schools 2022-23 distinguished schools. They are among only eight high 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.

George Bishop, Battlefield High’s recipient of the 2022-23 PLTW Outstanding Engineering Teacher award, said, “Earning the PLTW Distinguished High School distinction validates to those both inside and outside of our school that we are continually striving for excellence in curriculum and presentation.”

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.

“The students in our PLTW classes love engineering and the hands-on opportunities they are afforded to make their imaginations of creating come alive,” commented Ardenia Lewis, Gar-Field High School’s PLTW IEd/Technology Education teacher. “This award is a true tribute to all of their hard work, and as an educator, we are just the facilitators.”

In 2012, PWCS introduced PLTW’s Engineering curriculum through Career and Technical Education Engineering courses at two middle and two high schools. Today, PWCS has the most significant number of PLTW Engineering, Biomedical, and Computer Science classes, and trained teachers in Virginia.

"The PLTW Distinguished Recognition Award serves as a reminder of the dedication and commitment of [our] technical education to its students to prepare them for what they can expect when they graduate," added Carlos Castro, Woodbridge High School’s PLTW lead instructor. Woodbridge High was one of the first PLTW engineering schools in PWCS and has been pivotal in helping PWCS expand opportunities to all students.

Battlefield sophomore Maximus Pit-Og shared, "Being part of a distinguished PLTW high school program has taught me to work hard on my schoolwork; and the work ethic I have gained from this program will help me succeed in anything later in life."

PWCS offers the PLTW Gateway STEM courses in our middle schools and 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. Students must apply to be accepted into the PLTW program.