DARLINGTON, S.C. – A crowd of about 100 students, teachers, staff and community members huddled in secret silence Tuesday morning inside the gymnasium at Rosenwald Elementary School. Only after an unaware Dr. Kimberly Mason, Darlington County School District’s (DCSD) director of human resources, stepped through the gym doors did the crowd erupt with shouts of, “Surprise,” and filled the room with applause.  

Mason, who since 2008 served as the principal of Rosenwald, recently earned the great honor of being named Project Lead The Way’s (PLTW) 2024-25 National PLTW Administrator of the Year. Tuesday morning’s surprise ceremony gave her the opportunity to celebrate with her former students, teachers and staff as well as members of the Society Hill community, Darlington County Board of Education and representatives of PLTW. In September, Mason left the halls of Rosenwald in a transition to her new position with the district.

PLTW President and CEO Dr. David Dimmett and DCSD Superintendent Dr. Tim Newman greeted Mason shortly upon her arrival. She spent quite some time hugging friends and family along with a crowd of students before Dimmett presented her with the official award.

 “Project Lead The Way is proud to recognize great leaders who inspire and support their students, and we are honored to be presenting the National PLTW Administrator of the Year award to Dr. Kim Mason,” Dimmett said. “School educators and leaders like Dr. Mason are providing students with opportunities to explore STEM learning earlier, helping them get both excited about and prepared for their future.”

 “We are proud of Dr. Mason and her success with PLTW.  The students of Rosenwald Elementary benefited from the STEAM focus and acquired lifetime skills,” Newman said. “ Congratulations to Dr. Mason, the Rosenwald staff, and students.”

 The National PLTW Administrator of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding education administrator who exhibits exemplary leadership and demonstrates a commitment to empowering students to develop key transportable skills for college, and career success to thrive outside of the classroom. Mason was chosen from nominations received from across the United States.

 In 2020, Mason helped guide Rosenwald Elementary in launching PLTW’s Student Learning Paths through the STEAM Immersion Program, allowing students to select a career-focused learning track. Students also took part in the University of South Carolina's Project-Based Learning Project and the S.C. Computer Science Summit. Additionally, Rosenwald educators received advanced training in Algebra, Design and Modeling, and STEM education, with all core teachers achieving certification in the PLTW Launch pathway.

 PLTW equips PreK-12 students for a STEM-driven world with a teacher-empowered curriculum in computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more. For more than 25 years, PLTW’s curriculum coupled with its best-in-class professional development has supported teachers in creating an environment to make every student STEM successful. As a national nonprofit organization, PLTW is proud to reach 2.5 million students in elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states. With more than 100,000 trained teachers nationwide, PLTW brings relevant, hands-on learning to classrooms across the country. For more information on PLTW, visit pltw.org.