National nonprofit Project Lead The Way (PLTW) recognized Gainesville’s P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School as a 2024-25 PLTW Distinguished School for its commitment to engaging students in the organization’s engineering program.
This year is P.K. Yonge’s third in a row receiving the PLTW Distinguished School recognition, which honors schools aiming to increase student access, engagement and achievement in PLTW programs.
“We are proud to honor P.K. Yonge for their commitment to providing students with exceptional educational experiences through PLTW programs,” said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO, in a press release. “This achievement celebrates their dedication to student achievement and their focus on empowering students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in school and a wide range of post-secondary opportunities.”
Through more than 116,000 trained teachers in over 12,200 schools across all 50 states, PLTW works to create transformative learning experiences and empower pre-K through 12th-grade students by fostering teamwork and communication skills for future careers, including in STEM.
The PLTW Engineering program helps high school students step into the role of an engineer and adopt a problem-solving mindset by engaging 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.
In order to be eligible for the Distinguished School designation, P.K. Yonge needed to meet multiple criteria in the 2023-24 school year, including a number of PLTW courses available to students, the percentage of students enrolled in PLTW, and the percentage of students taking more than one PLTW course.
The Florida Department of Education has continuously given an “A” grade to P.K. Yonge since 2002 and has a 100% graduation rate, with its students being college or career-ready. The pre-K through 12th-grade school is one of 21 other high schools in Florida to receive the recognition.
Oak Hall School also recently received the PLTW Distinguished School award this year for its Launch K-5 program.
“P.K. Yonge is especially proud to have this honor bestowed upon our high school engineering program,” said Dr. Carrie Geiger, P.K. Yonge’s secondary principal, in the release. “It represents our school’s commitment to preparing our students in competitive academics, as well as making meaningful contributions to society.”