Academy Information

• Academy Application
• Academy Brochure

What is theSouthwest Academyfor 21st Century Excellence?

Today’s students will read 2,300 web pages and write more than 500 pages of e-mail this year. They will view 1,281 Facebook profiles. They will choose a college major that didn’t exist 10 years ago, and will work in a career that doesn’t exist today solving problems of which we have not yet heard.

How prepared is your son or daughter to enter into this 21st Century work world?

Teachers and school districts in Southwest Wisconsin are quickly adapting classrooms and offerings to keep up to the rapidly changing area of technology. Project Lead the Way was previously thought to be possible only in large districts due to cost, teacher training and available students. The PLTW Rural Initiative has found a cost effective way to join forces and offer PLTW in four small districts (Southwestern, Cuba City, Highland and Iowa-Grant) with a slightly larger district (Platteville) as the lead district.

In an effort to offer the PLTW capstone course, Engineering Design and Development (EDD) will be offered as a “hybrid class” taught by Scott Swan, Southwest Tech Mechanical Design Program Instructor. EDD is a research course that requires students to formulate the solution to an open-ended engineering question. With a community mentor and skills gained in their previous courses, students will create written reports on their applications, defend the reports, and submit them to a panel of outside reviewers at the end of the school year.

To become involved in the EDD course, students will:

• Have completed two previous PLTW classes.
• Apply using the SW Academy form 21st Century Excellence application, which is available for their PLTW instructor.
• Attend the EDD class on Wednesdays from 6:30—8:30 p.m. at a location to be determined.

In return, students will receive two advanced standing credits that will apply at Southwest Tech and other post-secondary institutions with similar offerings.