GREEN RIVER — Lincoln Middle School (LMS) announced today that it has been recognized as a 2021-22 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School.

It is one of just 134 middle schools across the U.S. to receive this honor for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students through PLTW Gateway. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S.

“The staff at Lincoln Middle School is the key to the success of this program. Our teachers are highly invested in the success of our students. We believe PLTW is one of the best programs to prepare our students for the future,” Matthew Mikkelsen, LMS principal said.

The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, LMS had to meet the following criteria:

• Have more than 50 percent of the student body participated in a PLTW Gateway unit during the 2020-21 school year;
• Have at least 25 percent of students who participated in a PLTW Gateway unity during the 2020-21 school year also participated in at least one other PLTW Gateway unity (two or more units total) during the tenure at the school;
• Offer at least one PLTW Gateway unit at each grade (6-8);
• Have strategies and supports in place that support reasonably proportional representation with regard to race, ethnicity, poverty, gender and can support such claims with relevant data.

“We are honored to recognize LMS/SWCSD No. 2 for their unwavering commitment to provide students with an excellent educational experience despite the last two years having been some of the most challenging in recent history for students and educators across the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. David Dimmett, Interim President and CEO of PLTW said. “LMS/SWCSD#2 should be very proud of their achievements in unlocking their students’ potential and equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom no matter what career path they choose.”

LMS is part of a community of PreK-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporate and philanthropic partners across the country united around a passion for providing students with inspiring, engaging, and empowering learning opportunities.

For more information about PLTW’s recognition program, visit pltw.org/our-programs/program-recognition.