by PEGGY BRIDGES
Special to the Hays Free Press

Lehman and Hays High School teachers, counselors and administrators recently attended the annual Project Lead the Way conference in Houston.

Project Lead the Way works with schools to implement programs which prepare students for success in engineering and science-related fields. While all students are encouraged to enroll, a particular focus is on recruiting females into a traditionally male program.

Good candidates for the program are students who are team players, enjoy solving problems (especially in math or science), ask questions, and can think a problem through from start to finish.

Attending district engineering teachers included Sue King, Paul Coppinger and Matt Johnson. Counselors included Kathy Arendt, Allison Tillotson and Nelda Albritton.

The district’s Career and Technology Education Engineering Advisory Board is comprised of Texas State Engineering Department Chair Dr. Harold Stern, Texas Lehigh CEO Bob Kidnew, RSI, Inc. CEO Harish Malkani, and Stephen Stites, an architect with Journeyman Construction, Inc. The board provides guidance and feedback on program improvement. Additionally, RSI, Inc. plays a key role in providing summer internships to students.

For more information on Project Lead the Way, see www.pltw.com.

Peggy Bridges is Coordinator of Hays CISD’s Career and Technology Education Department.