Poplar Bluff High School Secures $50,000 Grant for New Career Pathways

Poplar Bluff High School (PBHS) has been awarded a $50,000 grant. This funding will be used to create three new career pathways under Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a program that connects existing courses in the R-I district. Starting in the 2024/25 academic year, students can choose from biomedical, computer science, and engineering programs. A new algebra program will also be added to the current math curriculum. PBHS Principal Dr. Valerie Ivy emphasized the value of these programs for community partners and interested students.

The Poplar Bluff School District is the first in Southeast Missouri to implement all modules from the national curriculum provider, says Alana Dowdy, PLTW's Missouri director of school success. Over the last five years, the district has received $130,000 in grants to offer Launch at four elementary schools, Gateway classes at Junior High, and computer science at the Technical Career Center. The Board of Education has approved matching funds through 50/50 Enhancement grants and the Perkins Act to train current teachers.

The new programs will be integrated with existing courses at the Technical Career Center. This will allow PBHS students to take computer science classes in their first two years of high school. PBHS has previously received a $16,000 National PLTW Grant for engineering and $14,000 for biomedical. It was also the only Missouri high school to receive a $20,000 grant for computer science, which will be used for curriculum, software, equipment, and supplies.

In the first year, science instructor Andrea Carroll will teach biomedical, science teacher Kara Cummings will teach engineering, and Heather Pullam of the Business Department will teach computer science. Class sizes will be adjusted to accommodate the expanded career and technical education options. Last month, students made 72 out of 75 available course requests.

Dr. Ivy noted that students had shown interest in the medical field in the past, but there were limited class options. After visiting a showcase in Dexter where PLTW programming is used at the secondary level, Ivy and her team saw the program's potential and started looking for funding. Dowdy, a former principal at Dexter High School, spoke positively about the impact of PLTW on teaching and the professional development opportunities it provides for teachers.

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