Bridge builders, manufacturing managers, computer programmers, even a rocket scientist who worked the recent NASA Artemis II mission. They’re all engineers and they’re all examples of former Binghamton High School Project Lead the Way (PLTW) students. The prestigious pre-engineering program at BHS has been producing leaders in engineering for nearly 30 years.
“There was a need for students interested in engineering and knowing what it was when they were coming out of high school,” said BHS PLTW instructor Marta Gaska. “The curriculum does a good job of showing both sides of it: we’ll do the physics and math behind it, but then we’ll do hands-on projects as well. So you get the kids involved in all the skills they’d need to enter into the engineering field.”
Binghamton was among the first PLTW programs in the country back in the late 1990s. Now there are more than 12 thousand across the nation and Binghamton High School still ranks as one of the best. Recently, BHS was once again named a Project Lead the Way Distinguished High School for its excellence in engineering and computer science.
“We’ve been recognized by (national) Project Lead the Way for many years as a model program,” said BHS PLTW instructor Kurt Gaska. “We offer the full program, we have a lot of students who complete the program, qualify for the exam, and get the college credits.”
Students can earn up to nine college credits from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) through PLTW. These credits are transferable as elective credits at other colleges and universities as well, so students can use them regardless of where they study after high school. Additionally, anyone who completes all five PLTW courses earns a certificate along with a medal to wear at graduation, signifying the accomplishment of finishing the pre-engineering academy and acquiring the skill set needed to explore engineering and related fields at the next level.
“Former students, who have gone on to become engineers, have come back and talked to me, talked to us, about how going through these courses was one of the most important things they did to prepare for college or prepare for work,” said BHS Senior Justin Katz.
“The further you go into the program, the more you get into the things you’re going to need for college,” said BHS Senior Francis Otero. “The course work, even the programs we use, they’re the programs that are used in college.”
The five PLTW Pathway to Engineering courses offered at the high school are: Design & Drawing for Production, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Principles of Engineering, Computer Science Principles, and Engineering Design & Development. These courses complement traditional math and science classes and are designed to prepare students to pursue higher education and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM)-related fields. Given the success of the program over the past three decades, instructors hope it will continue to grow.
“There’s been a huge appetite among the students for more classes and higher-level classes,” said BHS PLTW instructor Scott Blankenbaker. “I have students that are asking for another class, another year, maybe a capstone. We’re continuing to build the program, and we’ve done really great work, but there’s still room to keep going.”
