OLNEY, MD – Our Lady of Good Counsel High School announced today that it has been recognized as a 2022-23 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School. It is one of 262 high schools across the U.S. to receive this honor for providing broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through PLTW’s engineering pathways. PLTWis a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in more than 12,200 schools across the U.S.
“The recognition from Project Lead the Way is a source of pride for us. Our commitment to the faculty and technical resources needed to have a top-tier STEM program pays off year after year in the form of tremendous college outcomes for our students,” said Good Counsel President Dr. Paul Barker.
The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, Good Counsel had to meet the following criteria in the 2021-22 school year:
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Had 25 percent of students or more participate in PLTW courses, or of those who participated in PLTW, at least 33 percent took two or more PLTW courses;
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Offer and had students enrolled in at least three PLTW courses;
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Have strategies in place that support reasonably proportional representation with regard to race, ethnicity, and or gender.
“We are proud to recognize Good Counsel for their commitment to providing students with exceptional educational experiences while ensuring equitable access to PLTW programs,” said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO. "We congratulate them on this achievement and celebrate their important work empowering students with the knowledge and skills to succeed, not only in STEM subjects, but also more generally in life and career."
Good Counsel is part of a community of PreK-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporate and philanthropic partners across the country united around a passion for providing students with inspiring, engaging, and empowering learning opportunities. For more information about PLTW’s recognition program, visit pltw.org.
About Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School is a private, Catholic, college preparatory, coeducationalhigh school in Olney, Maryland. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
Operated under the sponsorship of the Xaverian Brothers, Our Lady of Good Counsel offers students in grades nine through twelve, a wide array of programs and activities that advance academic excellence, foster spiritual growth, and encourage leadership and service to others. With a student body of just over 1,200, the school prides itself as being a community that promotes an inclusive environment, embodying the Xaverian Brothers’ values of simplicity, humility, compassion, zeal, and trust.
The school was founded in 1958 as an all-boys school in Wheaton, Maryland. In 1988, the school became coeducational. During the 2006-2007 school year, the school relocated to a new, sprawling 51-acre, high-tech campus in beautiful Olney, Maryland.
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PLTW Engineering
PLTW Engineeringempowers high school students to step into the role of an engineer and adopt a problem-solving mindset. Students engage in collaborative, real-life activities like working with a client to design a home, programming electronic devices or robotic arms, and exploring algae as a biofuel source.
About PLTW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a mission-driven organization that is transforming the learning experience for millions of PreK-12 students and thousands of teachers across the U.S. PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. Approximately 12,200 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs. For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit pltw.org.