Ridge View High School Recognized for Expanding Career Pathways

Ridge View High School has been recognized as a 2025–26 Project Lead the Way Distinguished School, an honor that reflects its strong commitment to expanding student access, engagement, and achievement in career-connected learning. The recognition specifically highlights the school’s Institute for Health Sciences magnet program, which continues to provide students with meaningful, real-world learning experiences and pathways to future careers.

To be eligible for the designation, Ridge View had to meet multiple criteria in the 2024-25 school year, such as the number of PLTW courses available to students, the percentage of students enrolled in PLTW, and the percentage of students taking more than one PLTW course.  

Dr. David Degenhardt is the Magnet Director for the Institute for Health Sciences at Ridge View. “Being recognized as a PLTW Distinguished High School reflects our commitment to providing students with meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for success beyond graduation. This recognition highlights our dedication to rigorous STEM and health science education, strong student achievement, and creating opportunities for students to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to thrive in college, careers, and service to their communities,” Dr. Degenhardt said.  

Ridge View is part of a national community 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