Mahopac High School has been named a 2024-2025 Project Lead The Way Distinguished High School, earning the national recognition for the first time in the school’s history. Recognized for providing broad, equitable access to high-quality STEM education, Mahopac joins a select group of schools across the country that have demonstrated a strong commitment to increasing student participation and success in PLTW courses.
To qualify, Mahopac met several performance-based criteria during the 2023-2024 school year, including offering multiple PLTW courses, enrolling a significant percentage of students in those courses and showing that many students opted to take more than one PLTW class throughout their high school experience. Engineering and physics teacher Thomas Mellin and engineering and mathematics teacher Amanda Longo have played key roles in the growth and success of the PLTW program at Mahopac High School.
“We’re not just teaching engineering, we’re building skills that students will carry into college and careers,” Mellin said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see students return year after year to take another Project Lead The Way course. That kind of engagement speaks volumes about the value of the program.”
At Mahopac, the program has expanded steadily, offering courses that inspire students to explore careers in engineering, innovation and design.
“This honor reflects the hard work our students put into their learning and the passion our teachers bring to the classroom every day,” Principal Patrick Keevins said. “Our Project Lead The Way program encourages students to think critically, collaborate effectively and apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. This is the kind of learning that prepares them for the future.”
With this recognition, Mahopac High School affirms its place among the nation’s top-performing STEM schools and continues its commitment to expanding access to high-impact learning experiences for all students. District leaders say this milestone marks just the beginning, as Mahopac looks to further grow its PLTW offerings and inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.
