WHS students win national PLTW award

Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nationwide hands-on STEM curriculum provider announced May 7 that four students from Woodstock High School have been named the winners of the inaugural PLTW Community Impact Awards, in the high school category. 

Those students include Liam Hanson, Lucas Rubio, Hunter Vassar, Peter Muschong. They were nominated for this first-time PLTW national award by their teacher Jason Huber.

Students across the nation are doing impactful things in and out of the classroom. PLTW created this student award to recognize and celebrate the innovations, creativity and influencing that PLTW students are doing within their school and communities. PLTW educators from across the country were encouraged to nominate a student or group of students who could demonstrate how their STEM learning through their PLTW classes was applied to a project that is making an impact within their community.

“This achievement underscores the effectiveness of the cohesive partnership between D 200 and the Woodstock City Council, bolstered by Project Lead The Way Engineering curriculum designed to cultivate skills that are applicable beyond the classroom, preparing high school students for the professional world.,” said Jason Huber, PLTW teacher at Woodstock High School.“It's truly a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved.”

The students designed and brought to life a “Walkability Project” which focused on how Woodstock faces challenges in its walkability due to a lack of essential services, infrastructure, and amenities within walking distance of key areas.

The surprise award was presented by Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO, at the Woodstock City Council meeting after the students presented their findings about how to increase Woodstock’s walkability score with strategically placed colored crosswalks.

Team member Liam Hanson, who is graduating this month and plans to attend the University of Tennessee, said he and his teammates were very excited to receive the award.

“When I heard that it was us, it was a surreal experience, I had zero clue it was coming. We’re definitely proud to receive the honor,” Hanson said.

Their project was selected as the high school winner from nominations submitted from across the U.S. for collaboration, innovation and scalability. Through this project the students showed how their enhancements would make a difference in people’s lives, solve a local problem, and how the impact would leave a legacy in the community.

“I am continually impressed by the incredible work PLTW students are doing in communities across the country,” Dimmett said. “Through our newly established Community Impact Award we congratulate and celebrate their remarkable effort to address real problems at the local level. It is impressive to see students applying what they are learning in their PLTW classes to make a meaningful difference in their community.”

Using advanced skills learned in their PLTW classroom, this award recognizes these Woodstock students for putting their classroom skills into real-world application and most importantly impacting those around them.

Huber shared his gratitude for the work of mentors Andrew Celentano, Mark Indyke, Brent Aymond, and Michael Rousey, whose efforts and candid feedback have played a pivotal role in preparing these students for the project as well as the next chapter of their lives.

“I think it’s great that these kids are being recognized for what they’re doing. All we did was give them guidance, and it’s really a thrill that we are winning this from among so many schools,” Celentano said.