WNHS named a 2024-25 Project Lead the Way Distinguished High School

Westerville North High School has been named a 2024-25 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished High School.

The national recognition celebrates the commitment by districts and schools to increasing student access, engagement and achievement in their PLTW programs. PLTW is part of the District’s health and engineering high school pathway programs. 

Since the 2016-17 school year, 1,043 students have participated in engineering courses. The retention rate in WNHS engineering classes is the highest in the District: 56% of students who take Introduction to Engineering Design move on to Principles of Engineering and 82 percent of students who take Principles of Engineering enroll in Civil Engineering and Architecture/Computer Integrated Manufacturing.

Females in engineering courses continue to rise; One-third of students enrolled in Introduction to Engineering Design and Civil Engineering and Architecture are females. Also, four female engineering students lead bimonthly design challenges in a SWENext club they started for middle schoolers. 

Meanwhile, 1,160 students have participated in biomedical courses since the 2014-15 school year. At WNHS, 77% of students who take Principles of Biomedical Science move on to take Human Body Systems. 

WNHS also celebrates pathway graduates with “Where are they now?” boards in the building. Each pathway displays 20 pictures of students in post-secondary education or careers, providing another opportunity for students to see peers like themselves in the engineering and biomedical sectors. 

This is the first time any WCSD high school has received the PLTW Distinguished High School designation.