TEMPLE, Texas — Temple Independent School District’s Kennedy-Powell Elementary School has been recognized as a 2025-26 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School. Kennedy-Powell is among a select group of elementary schools across the U.S. to receive this honor for its commitment to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in career-connected learning through PLTW Launch, an elementary STEM curriculum. This is the ninth consecutive year that Kennedy-Powell Elementary has been recognized by Project Lead The Way as a Distinguished School.
“We are very proud to receive this recognition and our teachers and students work very hard,” Mayra Bolivar, principal of Kennedy-Powell said. “Our teachers are very strategic about how they work through the modules, and while they do that, they are pulling in real-life examples and looking at the science curriculum to pull that in, as well. As they move from grade to grade, our students are growing and building on each previous year, so that by the time they leave Kennedy-Powell, they can continue that critical thinking and problem-solving. Our kids are able to connect lessons from STEM and from science to all of their learning, so it is not just one class a day.
The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, Kennedy-Powell had to have at least 75 percent of the student body participating in at least one PLTW Launch module and had to offer at least one PLTW Launch module in each grade (K-5) during the 2024-25 school year. Most Kennedy-Powell students participated in at least four PLTW modules. Kennedy-Powell hosted a PLTW Showcase for administrators, principals, and teachers, as a model PLTW campus and the school also hosted the Texas Mobile STEM Lab for a three-day visit last year.
“Our students, through Project Lead The Way, are able to effectively solve real-world problems and participate in hands-on learning and project-based activities,” said Catlain Melendez, Project Lead The Way lead launch and STEM teacher at Kennedy-Powell. “Those are things they might not have access to without this curriculum. Our campus striving to implement it in both the STEM lab and the classroom really helps our students to grow as problem-solvers since they are participating in the program all the way from kindergarten through fifth grade.”
Research indicates that students form opinions and develop an interest in math and science as early as elementary school, according to Project Lead The Way. Through activities such as designing a car safety belt or creating digital animations inspired by their own short stories, PLTW Launch students engage in critical and creative thinking, enhance teamwork skills, and develop a passion for and confidence in STEM subjects.
“We are proud to honor Kennedy-Powell Elementary School for giving students hands-on, career-connected learning that builds the confidence, knowledge, and skills to navigate their futures,” said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO. “Their commitment to real-world, project-based learning ensures students experience education that is meaningful and directly connected to what comes next.”
Project Lead The Way is a national nonprofit organization that creates transformative learning experiences and empowers students to develop in-demand knowledge and skills for future careers. Kennedy-Powell Elementary School is part of a national community comprised of PreK-12 schools, higher education institutions, and more than 100 industry partners united in the mission to prepare students for school, work, and life. For more information about PLTW’s Distinguished Program Recognition, visit https://www.pltw.org/pltw-program-recognition.