NCA Receives National Recognition For Commitment To Empowering Students (Photo) -06/11/20
NCA is named a distinguished school for STEM and career learning program
Everett, WA – Northshore Christian Academy (NCA) announced today that it has been recognized as a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School, for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities in STEM and Engineering for students through PLTW Launch. It is one of only 404 elementary schools across the U.S. to receive this honor. NCA surpassed PLTW’s requirements for this designation by offering all four PLTW Launch modules at each grade level and engaging 100 percent participation of the K-5th student body during the 2018-19 past school year.
PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S. The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs, by creating an engaging, hands-on classroom environment and empowering students to develop in-demand knowledge and skills. PLTW also provides teachers with the training, resources, and support they need to engage students in real-world learning.
Raine Sherwood is NCA’s PLTW Lead Launch Teacher, and she has been at the forefront of growing the PLTW program at NCA. Recently bestowed the University of Washington’s “Extra Yard for Teachers” award for excellence in STEM education, Sherwood leads NCA’s Engineering classes, Garden Club, and personally coached NCA’s award winning Robotics teams. Sherwood says, "We are so honored to be recognized for our PLTW program. NCA has supported developing our engineering program from the beginning and believes in growing opportunities for our students. I am so passionate about teaching this curriculum, and this is a great honor for our school!"
Studies show that students decide as early as elementary school whether they like, and think they are good at, math and science. Whether designing a car safety belt or building digital animations based on their own short stories, PLTW Launch students engage in critical and creative thinking, build teamwork skills, and develop a passion for and confidence in STEM subjects PLTW Launch’s 28 interdisciplinary modules do just this, by engaging students in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge.
“It is a great honor to recognize NCA for their commitment to providing students with an excellent educational experience,” said Dr. Vince Bertram, President and CEO of PLTW. “They should be very proud of their work to ensure students have the knowledge and skills to be career ready and successful on any career path they choose.”
This is the second prestigious National designation awarded to NCA this school year. In September 2019, the U.S. Department of Education announced that Northshore Christian Academy was named as an Exemplary High Performing National Blue Ribbon School. NCA is one of only 50 non-public schools across the country to receive this 2019 award and the only private school recipient on the West Coast.
Future STEM careers begin at NCA: For more information on NCA’s PLTW Launch program, visit NCA’s Engineering webpage or to set up a school visit, contact our 3rd-5th Grade Principal & STEM coordinator, Kristen Kreutner, at (425) 322-2398 or via email at: kkreutner@nca.school
For more information about PLTW’s recognition program, visit pltw.org/our-programs/program-recognition.
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 Nationwide offer PLTW programs. For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit www.pltw.org
Northshore Christian Academy was established in 1995, as a Ministry of Northshore Christian Church, and provides a high-quality, well rounded education for over 800 students in K-8th Grades and licensed Early Learning Center. Visit our website at www.nca.school or Twitter NCA_Schools and Facebook @NorthshoreChristianAcademy.
