Olympic Heights very own Ms. Nirmala (Miss Nimmi) Arunachalam of the OH Engineering Academy was named the 2017 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Computer Science National Teacher of the Year at the PLTW Summit 2017, the organization’s national conference, in Orlando on Monday, Oct. 23.

PLTW is an American not-for-profit organization founded in 1997 that develops STEM curricula for use by US elementary, middle, and high schools. It is a national program that forms partnerships among schools and industry to increase the number and quality of engineers.

“It is an incredible honor to be named as the PLTW Computer Science Teacher of the Year,” Ms. Nimmi explained with her usual humility. “The engineering academy students, teachers, and the leadership of our school are in the pursuit of a joint vision, where every student will leave our high school Computer Science ready. This award is a shot in the arm that will propel us towards our goal with renewed vigor.”

The PLTW website describes its program as “one of the nation’s foremost providers of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. PLTW is helping students cultivate skills that they will need to be successful in a global economy by providing excellent K-12 curriculum, great partnerships, and professional high quality teacher development.”

The PLTW website explains that its Computer Science curricula “engages students in compelling, real-world challenges. As students work together to design solutions, they learn computational thinking – not just how to code – and become better thinkers and communicators.

“PLTW Computer Science engages students in interdisciplinary activities that not only build knowledge and skills in computer science, but also empower students to develop essential skills such as problem solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and perseverance,” the PLTW website explains. “The program’ s courses empowers students with in-demand knowledge and skills they will use in high school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they choose.”