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Project Lead the Way

416 McKinley Ave.
Geneva, IL 60134
Phone: 630-463-3800

What is PLTW or Project Lead the Way?

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY is a rigorous, honors-level Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program that requires students to have a solid math and science background. Students will apply their skills to an engineering-focused curriculum in real-world scenarios. The Project Lead the Way Engineering course sequence at GHS carries honors-level weight. Although significant amounts of math and science content are covered in these engineering courses, these courses do not satisfy graduation or college admission requirements in math or science. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a nationally recognized engineering curriculum that is aligned with many of the top engineering colleges and is supported at the state level by the University of Illinois. The target audience for the Project Lead the Way course sequence at GHS includes students:
  • with strong math and science skills
  • with an interest in engineering
  • interested in developing math and science reasoning skills
  • seeking to take a rigorous elective course 

Engineering Courses

HONORS INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING DESIGN: PROJECT LEAD THE WAY (PLTW) 

This honors level course is intended for students who are interested in engineering and design or another technical career. The major focus of these courses is to expose students to the design process, professional collaboration methods, design ethics, and technical documentation. Students will develop skills in research and analysis, teamwork, technical writing, engineering graphics, and problem solving. Students use industry standard 3-D solid modeling software to help them design solutions to problems, document their work, and communicate solutions. 

HONORS PRINCIPLES OF ENGINEERING: PROJECT LEAD THE WAY (PLTW) 
Prerequisite: Honors Intro to Engineering Design PLTW or Consent of Instructor

This honors level course exposes students to some of the major concepts encountered in the engineering field, including energy sources, mechanisms, energy applications, machine control, fluid power, and material testing. Students will employ scientific concepts in the solution of engineering design problems. Students will develop problem solving skills and apply their knowledge of research and design to create solutions to various challenges. 

HONORS ENGINEERING CAPSTONE: PROJECT LEAD THE WAY (PLTW) 
Prerequisite: Successful completion of any two PLTW courses, one must be Introduction to Engineering Design

Honors Engineering Capstone is the capstone course in the PLTW Engineering course sequence. It is an open-ended engineering research course in which students work in teams to design, develop, and test an original solution to a well defined and justified open-ended problem by applying the engineering design process. While progressing through the engineering design process, students will work continually to hone in their organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, their creative and problem solving abilities, and their understanding of the design process.