York Suburban Gives Engineers a Head Start

By Andrew Shaw, The York Dispatch, Pa.

Jul. 29–York Suburban Senior High School is leading the way in preparing students for engineering careers.

The school spent the past two years developing a nationally operated program, Project Lead the Way, which provides engineering training before students enter college.

Earlier this month, the school became the first in the region to receive full certification from Project Lead the Way. The nonprofit program offers curriculum in engineering and technology, with the potential for up to nine college credits if a student does well in class.

Too many students around the country are ill-prepared to enter a college engineering program, said Tac Thomas, York Suburban High School’s technology department chair.

The Project Lead the Way program addresses that problem, he said.

“It gives them real-life application,” Thomas said of the courses, which often involve hands-on projects. “We have industry out there crying for highly skilled workers.”

York Suburban will add another Project Lead the Way course this school year, Digital Electronics, for a total of three courses. The school began offering courses in 2006.

Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering are the others, with courses in aerospace engineering, biotechnical engineering, civil engineering and architecture, and computer integrated manufacturing among the possible additions in upcoming years. The courses are electives.

The school’s certification confirms it is implementing the program up to quality standards. Only eight other high schools in the state are certified, and York Suburban is the only one from York, Cumberland, Dauphin and Lancaster counties.

Superintendent Kate Orban said she fully supports the program as a good way to prepare students interested in engineering.

Thomas agreed and said the students are more likely to succeed in college and eventually in the work force.

“Hopefully, it’s saving them headache and money,” Thomas said.

The engineering program at Penn State Berks campus in Reading is one of the closest colleges accepting the credits, along with many major universities across the country, Thomas said.

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Copyright (c) 2008, The York Dispatch, Pa.

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