Project Lead The Way Ohio Archives

Governor’s visit, computational science exhibits, national certifications, and student presentations highlight 2006 Fall Conference

Several among the record 250 attendees cited this year’s Fall Conference as one of the best conferences they had ever attended.   Highlights of the conference, held at the University of Akron Oct. 16 and 17, included emerging technology exhibits in the area of computational science, a speaker from the White House’s Science and Technology Policy office, and a visit from Ohio Governor. Bob Taft.  Taft toured three Akron schools during the conference, spoke at the Monday luncheon, and presented Akron Firestone with its national certification.   Especially popular with conference attendees, though, was a series of lunchtime presentations by PLTW students from schools across the state.  The 9-12 grade presenters, from Medina County Career Center, Rock Hill High School in Ironton, Hoover High School in North Canton, and Akron Firestone High School, wowed the audience with their knowledge of everything from design through basic circuitry to research in bio-diesel fuels.   Comments from attendees included “I can’t believe those are high school students,” and “Wow, these kids really bring to light how valuable PLTW is.” 

Governor Taft was equally impressed.  He first went to Litchfield Middle School to see the school's Gateway to Technology program, which hones students' math, science and technology skills and prepares them for Project Lead the Way.  He next visited Firestone High, where students showed him the workings of their Rube Goldberg project  and Taft presented Firestone  with their national PLTW certification, which will allow its students to gain college credit for PLTW classes at universities such as Purdue and the Rochester Institute of Technology.  The governor's last stop was at Garfield, Akron's only other high school with a PLTW program. The school has one of the oldest Project Lead the Way programs in Ohio and has been nationally certified since 2004.  Six other Ohio schools including Centerville, Columbiana, EHOVE, Polaris, Timken, and Ridgeville Christian were also honored with national certifications at this year’s conference.  

The afternoon of Day One, attendees toured the University of Akron’s many engineering program displays, including engineering contest winners and design displays.  The displays all emphasized the use of computational science, this year’s featured Ohio emerging technology. 

Day Two of the conference was set aside for teachers as a professional development opportunity.   Hands-on projects were emphasized in workshops that teachers registered for in advance.  The 2-hour morning and afternoon learning opportunities, taught by peer PLTW teachers, included Gateway to Technology, Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Engineering Design and Development.   Teachers’ comments about the workshops were very positive, and included remarks such as “Very useful information and review,” and “Good mix of computer work and hands-on techniques for teaching DE.” 

Monica Pfarr, state affiliate director for PLTW, called this year’s conference “a great showcase for the growing importance and expansion of the Project Lead the Way program in our state.”    “We are very gratified that so many schools in Ohio are finding out how beneficial the program can be in preparing students for engineering careers,” Pfarr said.  “This is good for our students and good for our state.”

PLTW Ohio 2006 Highlights

	PHOTOS (Click on photo below for larger view)