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Project Lead the Way
Ramay Students Capture Second Place
Ramay Junior High School students placed second in the 2009 Razorback Technology Challenge held Wednesday, December 9th on the University of Arkansas' Fayetteville campus. The competition, sponsored by the University of Arkansas College of Engineering and the College of Education and Health Professions, is held on the second Wednesday of December and draws students from the four-state area. More than 560 students participated this year.
The Razorback Technology Challenge features graphic design, bridge-building, C02 dragster racing, and other problem-solving competitions, including a CAD (computer-aided design) event in which teams must design and construct an object not announced until the event begins. Teams this year were instructed to design a locker organizer to meet competition specifications.
The Ramay students who participated in the competition are part of Project Lead the Way, an innovative program that combines a number of disciplines through hands-on projects. Students design and construct wooden bridges, C02 dragsters, robotic devices, and other intricate objects in the classroom. The program is currently available only at Ramay and Woodland junior high schools, with plans to begin the program to Fayetteville High School in August 2010.
Vic Dreier leads the program at Ramay. He says there are approximately 200 students currently enrolled in the programs at Ramay and Woodland, and the schools expect 280 students next year. All but one of the available Project Lead the Way classes are at capacity, a fact that demonstrates the increasing popularity of the program.
One of the initial hurdles the program faced in attracting students was overcoming the stereotypes associated with traditional shop classes, adding that female students were particularly reluctant to join. That's changing. Twenty-three female students are participating in the program this year, up from only a handful last year. Vic reports that female students consistently perform better during the program's C02 dragster competition, and that they typically pay greater attention to detail and craftsmanship during woodworking projects.
Vic returned to Arkansas two years ago after teaching in St. Louis. In his final year teaching there, 67 percent of Project Lead the Way students went on to major in engineering fields in college. He is excited that the district soon makes the program available at Fayetteville High School so as to allow Ramay and Woodland students an opportunity to continue their work.
You can learn more about Project Lead the Way at http://pltw.org.