Locally-Developed Digital Curriculum Garners International Recognition
MIDLAND — A series of digital courses created through a partnership involving the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center has been awarded "Best in Show for Technical Achievement" by one of the world's leading tech competitions.
The W3 Awards, which honors and celebrates outstanding websites, web marketing, video, mobile sites/apps & social content, bestowed the honor on the Midland-based center for its Career Technical Education course in FAA Drone Pilot Certification.
Other courses in welding and culinary arts developed by Lincoln Park and its partnering Certify-ED took home several W3 "Silver" Awards.
"We are grateful for this recognition by W 3 because it validates the vision we have for creating rigorous, real-world, and relevant education opportunities for today's students," Stephen Catanzarite, managing director and chief executive officer at Lincoln Park, said in a press release. "Lincoln Park is fortunate to be connected with the world-class team of subject experts, content specialists, programmers, and developers assembled by our partners at Certify-Ed, which shares our commitment to creating courses that provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful, and which use the kinds of technology and processes they will encounter in the contemporary workplace."
The W 3 Awards are sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AVIA), an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a "Who's Who" of acclaimed media, interactive, advertising, and marketing firms. AIVA members include executives from organizations such as AgencyNet, AvatarLabs, Block Media, Conde Nast, Disney, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Microsoft, MTV Networks, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Yahoo! and Wired.
Other 2019 W 3 award winners include Google, Dell, Final Fantasy, Crayola, AT&T, and NASA.
Catanzarite says the CTE courses being developed by Lincoln Park and Certify-ED will help form the basis of the curriculum and instruction to be offered by the recently-announced Midland Innovation and Technology Charter School, and will also be piloted by The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School beginning in 2020.