Seniors in the Biomedical Sciences program at Campo Verde High School recently organized and led a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Showcase, taking full responsibility for planning and executing the event. The PLTW program is designed to connect classroom learning with real-world applications in STEM and medical careers.
During the showcase, students presented their projects and discussed how their experiences in the BioMed program have influenced their future plans. Attendees were invited to a student panel where seniors shared insights about the curriculum and answered questions from guests.
“BioMed is the most important program to us. We’ve been in it together every year, so we know the ins and outs of it really well. We felt that seniors would be best to showcase the program, so we took ownership of it,” said one student.
The BioMed curriculum at Campo Verde High spans four years, culminating in a capstone project where students research real-world medical problems with guidance from professionals in the field. This mentorship helps students build confidence as they prepare for college or careers. “We do a lot of research in different databases, so we learn to dissect complicated medical research papers, just like we will have to in college. It also helps us connect with real professionals who can support us and be our mentors,” another student explained.
“A lot of what we do in the program is what you do in college,” added another participant. “I feel really well-prepared in that regard. Some of us already work as lab assistants, so we also already have jobs going into college.”
Seniors used the event as an opportunity to encourage incoming freshmen to join the four-year BioMed program, highlighting its value even for those not certain about pursuing a medical career. “If you’re interested in it, join the program and see what it’s about. I’m not sure if I fully want to go into the medical field, but I still really like being in the program because I get to learn things I wouldn’t be able to elsewhere, and a lot of the skills we learn can be applied in different places,” said another student.
Students at Desert Ridge Junior, Greenfield Junior, and South Valley Junior High Schools can begin STEM pathways through Project Lead the Way Gateway courses such as design, modeling, and robotics. These junior high programs are aligned with high school offerings; for example, South Valley students can take Medical Detectives Gateway course which connects directly with Campo Verde’s BioMed curriculum.
Gilbert Public Schools states its commitment to preparing graduates for future success by supporting programs like these throughout its schools. More information on how Gilbert Public Schools prepares students for high school and beyond is available at GilbertSchools.net/Thrive.
