Mr. John Sanders and Mrs. Chastity Rohan shown with the 2016 Program of Excellence award.
Project Lead the
Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM) programs, has named the Grant County High School Engineering program its 2016 Program of Excellence for Kentucky. Grant County's program, headed by teacher, Mrs. Chastity Rohan, was the single honoree
chosen from 73 similar programs throughout the Commonwealth.
Mrs. Rohan and the
Grant County High School (GCHS) Engineering program was recognized at the Kentucky
Project Lead the Way Conference held October 2-3, 2016, in Shelbyville, KY. According to Doug Klein, PLTW Affiliate
Director, with the College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky, “Grant
County High School’s Engineering Program has been a consistently high-achieving
program in Kentucky. When we are asked after
what program a school should model their program, Grant County is the one we
express to emulate. They have tremendous
teachers and the district ensures they have all the necessary resources to
allow their program to excel.”
Program of
Excellence Awards are determined by a team of six individuals that includes representatives
from the University of Kentucky, Project Lead the Way, the Kentucky Department
of Education, and leaders in related industries. Criteria considered in the selection process
include end of course scores, activities held by the program, program
certification, and unique characteristics that set the program apart.
Mrs. Rohan,
formerly a math teacher at Grant County High School, has been the Project Lead
the Way Engineering teacher since the program was first introduced at GCHS in
2010. “From my first PLTW training, I
knew I had found my passion,” says Mrs. Rohan.
Rohan is now a model PLTW Master Teacher, who further, according to
Klein, “benefits thousands of students each year with the effort she places in
mentoring teachers across the nation.”
In addition to her
Master teacher status and the role GCHS plays in modeling instruction and
programming, local unique characteristics that make the program noteworthy
include:
The
GCHS Engineering program has received and maintained its status as a “PTLW
Certified Program.”
Grant
County’s hard-hat ceremony held for students completing the program was the
first such recognition program in the Commonwealth.
Engineering
camps held during the summer for elementary and Grant County Middle School students
both expose and recruit younger students for higher-level STEM programming.
Grant
County’s Engineering program includes a higher percentage of females than any
other program.
Grant
County offers 6 of the 8 available PLTW Engineering courses, which is more than
most schools are able to provide, and
The
program has expanded to include focus Geometry courses taught by Mrs. Debra
Hambrick, which allows students to receive dual math and engineering credits.
Students
completing the program have a myriad of opportunities. Some will choose engineering programs at the
University of Kentucky or the University of Louisville, some make a slight
shift to Information Technology (IT), while others have chosen a college/career
pathway from KYFAME (Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education). “And some,” says Mrs. Rohan, “choose a career
path that is 180 degrees different than engineering -- but even in those
instances, I’m pleased that the students have gained knowledge in the field
and extraordinary critical thinking and problem solving skills.”
Mrs. Rohan credits
the success of Grant County’s engineering program to the support she receives
from the high school and district-level administration, and to her
students. She claims she is just the
“pulling the strings” while the students “are the ones doing the work.” Her face reveals how proud she is of them.
Mr. John Sanders,
Associate Principal in charge of Career and Technology Programs, however,
credits Mrs. Rohan. “We are extremely
proud of Mrs. Rohan and the engineering program she has built here at the Grant
County Schools Career and Technology Center.
This award highlights her commitment to her profession, her interest and
enthusiasm for her subject matter, and her extreme dedication to her students.”
Congratulations to Mrs. Rohan and the GCHS team!