Teacher top in the country

Tracy Swedlund honored as national Engineering

Teacher of the Year

Over the past 25 years, Indianapolisbased Project Lead the Way (PLTW) has trained more than 100,000 teachers as part of an effort to raise the bar in school classrooms and get young people interested in careers in science and engineering.

According to Dr. David Dimmett, Ed.D., MBOE who is president and CEO of PLTW, there are currently 8,500 engineering teachers across the country who are part of PLTW, but among them only one rises to the level of recognition as the Engineering Teacher of the Year.

On Wednesday morning, he was in Medford to present the Engineering See SWEDLUND on page 16 Teacher of the Year Award to Tracy Swedlund during a ceremony held at the Medford Area Senior High School Library with his fellow teachers and staff present. Swedlund will also be traveling to San Diego next fall to be recognized at the PLTW national conference.

The Engineering Teacher of the Year distinction is presented to educators who have demonstrated excellence in delivering the PLTW program, providing significant student learning experiences, and fostering the expansion of PLTW’s curriculum.

“Celebrating great teaching and learning is one of the most important things we do at Project Lead The Way. Our network of educators across the U.S. provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in today’s STEM-driven world,” said Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO. “We recognize and congratulate these educational leaders and are proud of the work they do to ensure all students have learning experiences that excite and prepare them for future careers.”

Selected from a nationwide pool of nominees, Swedlund is recognized for his contributions to PLTW Engineering. Swedlund has instructed at MASH for 26 years where he teaches science courses and specialized PLTW subjects including engineering design and development (EDD) and environmental sustainability (ES) to high school students.

Speaking at Wednesday’s ceremony were fellow teachers Bill Dallas and Joe Gasser. Dallas noted Swedlund’s dedication to teaching and how he is excited about his subjects and brings that excitement in his classrooms and to his students. He praised Swedlund for being open to all students and being willing to meet students at their level.

Gasser praised Swedlund’s ability to bring what he learns over the summers from PLTW training into his classrooms and to the students, keeping them excited about engineering.

In addition to the award, Swedlund’s picture and profile will be added to a wall of honor at the PLTW headquarters building.