Deanna Davenport Elementary Receives National Recognition for Commitment to Empowering Students
Canutillo Independent School District’s Deanna Davenport Elementary (DDE) School was named a 2020-21 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished School. It was one of 310 PLTW Launch programs across the country to receive the recognition for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S.
“PLTW is a very important learning opportunity offered to all students at Deanna Davenport,” said Marta Strobach, principal of DDE. “PLTW allows the students to use their imagination to explore the world. It teaches them to be problem solvers and creative inventors.”
The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement through their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, DDE had to meet the following criteria:
- Have more than 50 percent of the student body participating during the 2019-20 school year
- Have 25 percent of students advancing to high school participation in two or more units
- Offer at least one PLTW Gateway unit at each grade level
- Have strategies in place to support reasonable proportional representation with regard to race, ethnicity, poverty, gender and can support such claims with relevant data
“It is a great honor to recognize Deanna Davenport Elementary School for its unwavering commitment to provide students with an excellent educational experience despite the unusual circumstances and unique challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presented to the educational landscape this year,” said Dr. Vince Bertam, president and CEO of PLTW. “They 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.”
DDE is a part of a community of PreK-12 schools, colleges, and universities as well as corporate and philanthropic partners across the country united around one 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.