Graham Middle School receives national recognition for STEM, career learning program

Graham Middle School was one of 134 middle schools in the U.S. to be recognized for its STEM and career learning program.

The school was recognized as a 2021-22 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for providing access to learning opportunities for students through the PLTW Gateway.

PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves million of pre-K-12 students and teachers in the U.S. All Graham students take at least two PLTW courses and can take two more via electives.

“Our staff has worked hard to provide intentional pre-pathway learning experiences for our students here at GMS that expose our students to future opportunities, regardless of the field in which they enter,” said Principal Nick Guidera. “Not only is Project Lead The Way coursework an opportunity, but it is also an expectation for our students. We prove that by having all students in these intentional learning environments, not just those who are ‘accelerated or advanced’ and that is something special.”

A PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors those committed to increasing student access, engagement and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, Graham Middle School had to meet the following criteria:

  • Have more than 50% of the student body participate in a PLTW Gateway during the 2020-21 school year;
  • Have at least 25% of students who participated in the program during that year also participated in at least one other PLTW Gateway unit; and
  • Have strategies and supports in place that support reasonably proportional representation with regard to race, ethnicity, poverty, gender and can support such claims and relevant data.

“We are honored to recognize Graham Middle School for their unwavering commitment to provide students with an excellent educational experience despite the last two years having been some of the most challenging in recent history for students and educators across the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said David Dimmett, Interim President and CEO of PLTW.

“Graham Local Schools should be very proud of their achievements in unlocking their students’ potential and equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom no matter what career path they choose,” he added.

For more information about the program, visit pltw.org/our-programs/program-recognition.

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