YVHS PLTW ENGINEERING

The Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering Program at Ygnacio Valley High School was designed to build a strong foundation for college and career for students interested in solving today's problems by designing creative and practical solutions, producing innovative products that matter, and making positive effects on everyday life.

The program’s courses engage students in compelling, real-world challenges that not only build knowledge and skills in engineering, but also empower students to develop essential skills such as problem solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration and perseverance.

This PLTW Engineering Program is for students who want to learn about careers in engineering, construction and manufacturing. It fits well with students who like to work with their hands, like solving problems and designing creative solutions and are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Students in the engineering program will get opportunities for college campus trips, industry field visits, summer enrichment programs, after school activities, mentorship and internship.

Innovation Lab


ENGINEERING PROGRAM course sequence

Engineering Pathway

Students in the Engineering Pathway will graduate with up to 3 years of Project Lead The Way Engineering coursework. Students will get priority in college campus trips, industry field visits, summer enrichment programs, after school extracurricular activities, mentorship and internship opportunities.

College and Career Access Pathway (CCAP)

The CCAP STEM Program is a partnership between Diablo Valley College, Mount Diablo Unified School District, Ygnacio Valley High School and various community partners. Students in this program will graduate with 3 years of Project Lead The Way Engineering coursework and up to 28 units of college credits from Diablo Valley College.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

engineering essentials

In Engineering Essentials (EES), students explore the work of engineers and their role in the design and development of solutions to real-world problems. The course introduces students to engineering concepts applicable across multiple engineering disciplines and it empowers them to build technical skills through the use of a variety of engineering tools, such as geographic information systems (GIS), 3D solid modeling software, and prototyping equipment.

Students learn and apply the engineering design process to develop mechanical, electronic, process, and logistical solutions to relevant problems across a variety of industry sectors, including health care, public service, and product development and manufacturing.

Introduction to engineering design

In Introduction to Engineering Design (IED), students dig deep into the engineering design process, applying math, science, and engineering standards to hands-on projects. They work both individually and in teams to design solutions to a variety of problems using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and use an engineering notebook to document their work. Using Onshape or Fusion 360 to draw 3D models, students produce working prototypes with a variety of rapid prototyping technology such as 3D printers, laser cutter and cnc router.

computer integrated manufacturing

Manufactured items are part of everyday life, yet few people understand the excitement and innovation that transforms ideas into products. This course provides an opportunity for students to recognize many of the exciting career opportunities in the manufacturing industry.

Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is the capstone course in the YVHS PLTW engineering program. The course deepens the skills and knowledge of an engineering student within the context of efficiently creating the products that are all around us. Students build upon their computer-aided design (CAD) experience by using computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. This course also introduces students to robotics, automation and programming.

  • PLTW Engineering courses fulfill the D Laboratory Science requirement for the UC/CSU A- G Requirements. It is recommended that students take a third year of science.

  • PLTW Engineering courses fulfill 10 credits of Career Technical Education or up to 30 credits of electives requirement for high school graduation.

Extracurricular Activities available to engineering student


PROJECT 212 YVHS ROBOTICS

Project 212 (FIRST Team 7137) is a competitive robotics team established in 2018. We are led by highly-motivated students, mentored by experienced industry professionals and sponsored by generous community partners like Marathon Petroleum, Benchmark, Bishop Wisecarver and the Rotary Club of Concord.

Our organization’s mission is to:

  • provide students with real-world skills through competitive robotics.

  • promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) to our community through outreach programs.

Our vision is to build a high-quality Career and Technical Education pathway for our community by supporting the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programs offered at Ygnacio Valley High School and in our feeder elementary and middle schools.

In 2018, we received the Rookie All-Star Award in the FIRST Robotics Competition San Francisco Regional. In 2019, our team reached the semifinals of the FIRST Robotics Competition Sacramento Regional.

In the past 2 years, Project 212 involved itself in various community outreach. We demonstrated our robots to students and community partners in various community events.


You can learn more about Project 212 in our Facebook page.

ACE (Architecture, Construction and Engineering) MENTOR PROGRAM

The mission of ACE Mentor Program is to engage, excite, and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and continued support for their advancement into the industry.

YVHS hosts the ACE Mentor Program from January - May. A group of industry professionals come to YV and holds engaging lessons once a week. The program culminates with a design competition. Graduating seniors are guaranteed to receive scholarships upon successful completion of the program.


Discover Engineering! Residential Summer Program

Students spend five nights and six days at Cal State East Bay Hayward Hills Campus with high school teachers (as camp chaperones) in dorms and experience college life. They are immersed in a 5-day rigorous engineering hands-on experience which blends lecture, laboratories and industry field visits and career panels. The week-long project begins with the review of a design brief which culminates in the creation of a bridge and autonomous vehicle which is tested and analyzed, and then results are presented to industry at the conclusion of the program. Students/teachers arrive on campus the Sunday before the Monday-Friday camp to acclimate to dorm living.

for inquiries, contact:

Joseph Alvarico, Engineering Program coordinator, teacher and robotics coach