Members of the U.S. Engineering (USE) team recently developed new lesson plans for Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a national organization focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. This innovative lesson, inspired by an actual USE project, was designed to highlight sustainable practices and real-world applications, enhancing the PLTW curriculum with hands-on, practical insights.

PLTW is a teacher-founded and educator-led organization that has been integrated into over 12,000 schools across the United States. The program brings professionals into elementary, middle, and high school classrooms to support teachers and students in delivering impactful STEM education.

Tim Moormeier, President of U.S. Engineering Company Holdings, is a longtime advocate for education and serves on the national PLTW Advisory Board for a new course on Advanced Algebra rolling out across the country this fall. He brought together a team of sustainability experts from USE, including Tom Poeling, Director of Energy and Sustainability Services; Hannah Thomazin, Project Engineer, Strategy; and Kristen Blundell, Senior Preconstruction Manager, to create the new curriculum.

“The opportunity arose for us to suggest a topic to be added to the curriculum being developed for the new Advanced Algebra course,” Moormeier explained. “I felt that sustainability, energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction strategies would be a great idea. The thought of introducing tens of thousands of students to this topic was thrilling to us. We presented the idea to the PLTW leadership, and they immediately accepted it and encouraged us to work on the project.”

In collaboration with PLTW curriculum designers, the USE team identified a project suitable for 8th-grade students, focusing on sustainability within the construction industry and illustrating common core math standards. USE has been committed to sustainability for years, helping partners and building owners operate their facilities more efficiently. This initiative with PLTW aligns with that commitment by equipping the next generation with practical knowledge to build a more sustainable future.

The resulting lesson centers on teaching students how to calculate HVAC loads, taking into account factors like location and weather. The Denver Public Schools’ Ceylon Campus project, a fully electric building, was selected as the lesson’s case study. The exercise demonstrates how an electric heat pump RTU was used to heat and cool the gymnasium, making the example both relevant and engaging for students.

This project reflects USE’s Core Values and commitment to improving learning environments beyond their construction projects. USE team members have been actively supporting STEM-focused educational organizations, such as KC STEM Alliance and STEMblazers, for years. The company’s leadership also plays a significant role in these efforts—USE CEO Tyler Nottberg founded a preschool education non-profit, Aligned, and was recognized with the Betsy Vander Velde Award for his contributions.

On the experience, Hannah Thomazin said, “I really enjoyed working with the PLTW team to present a real-world challenge that we face in building design and construction. It’s rewarding to know we’re introducing these concepts to students for the first time.”

Kristin Blundell added, “The experience of working with the PLTW team was enjoyable right from the initial meeting through the entire process. They took a real-life example and transformed it into an engaging Middle School Algebra problem, seamlessly integrating insights into sustainability and electrification challenges in our field.”

The new lessons will launch this school year as part of the Algebra 1 Advantage curriculum. They will teach 8th-grade students about carbon capture and provide a better understanding of how increased cloud cover can lead to a hotter planet. And the hotter the planet gets, the harder equipment needs to work to keep us cool. Additionally, the lessons include a career highlight, offering insights into related professions that students can explore.

“The challenge was to transform our work into a middle school math problem,” said Tom Poeling. “Initially, I was skeptical about whether our work could be simplified into an engaging concept for middle school students. However, the PLTW team’s creativity exceeded my expectations. After seeing the final product, I’m beginning to think I may not be smarter than a 7th grader!”