In the News
Project Lead The Way has become a hot topic in newspaper and magazine articles across the country. Because we would like to share the good news, we invite Schools in the PLTW Network to send us articles showing their students engaged in the PLTW hands-on, problem-solving program. If schools know the links to these articles, please send them to marketing@pltw.org. We will make every effort to include them in this new section of our website.
PLTW joins NACME & NAF in Academy of Engineering Initiative
Project Lead the Way has joined together with the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), and the National Academy Foundation (NAF) to promote engineering to high school students around the nation. These efforts, while supporting all students, will focus on encouraging minority groups to recognize engineering as a possible career choice.
2008-2009 Academies of Engineering Pilot Sites
Program offers teens a taste of engineering, hoping they'll want more
GRAFTON — Midview High School students are entering the world of engineering before stepping foot on a college campus through a national program, Project Lead the Way.
Project Lead the Way gives students a glimpse of life as an engineer before making the commitment to majoring in the field at college, said Midview High School technology teacher Tim Daley.
This is the first year the program is being offered to students at MHS.
It also has been offered to students at Admiral King High School for several years, and plans are in the works to offer it at Lorain County Joint Vocational School, said Sharon Fain, director of the technology preparation consortium for Lorain County Community College.
Through grants provided by the Nord Family Foundation and Stocker Foundation, 29 Midview students have enrolled in the first course, said Cathy Pugh, director of curriculum and technology for Midview school district.
The first course is an introduction to engineering design.
District 303 engineering the future
PEKIN - Pekin Community High School is one step closer to leading the way for the engineers of the future.
Tim Ruwe, assistant superintendent of District 303, told the school board that after three years, Pekin is now an officially certified Project Lead the Way school.
The national project is an effort to stop the gradual disappearance of American engineering students in U.S. colleges.
According to the not-for-profit organization's Web site, the project also aims to reverse the “critical shortage of engineers and engineering technologists” in America.
“The idea is to dip down into high schools to give young people exposure to what engineering is all about,” said Ruwe after Monday night's regular school board meeting.
In the 2005-2006 school year, the high school began offering an introduction to engineering design class. During the 2006-2007 school year, the high school also began offering digital engineering.
Dr. Fischer Delivers 9th Annual State of Education Address
The 9th Annual State of Education Address was delivered by Dr. Herbert Fischer, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at the Sturges Center in San Bernardino.
Dr. Fischer, who has served the San Bernardino and Colton School Districts in various capacities for 38 years, announced some positive reports, however, he expressed a need for improvement. "A record of 15 schools from San Bernardino County exited Program Improvement status in 2007. While 146 schools in the County remain in Program Improvement. In addition, of 98 districts statewide in Program Improvement under No Child Left Behind, six are in San Bernardino County," he told the crowd. Program Improvement is a state-approved program provided to initiate plans of improvement in order to achieve success in student academics.
Maple Elementary in Fontana and Westside Park Elementary in Adelanto are the only two schools within the county to exit Program Improvement in the last four years. Maple Elementary is 80 percent Latino, 10 percent African American, and 7 percent Caucasian. Forty-seven percent of students in the school are English learners, and 14 percent are special education students. All the students within Maple Elementary are classified as economically disadvantaged. Within two years Maple Elementary has gained 104 points in terms of academic performance growth.
Future engineers are getting younger
Career-finding program now in local middle school
Michelle Linscheid used to doodle and draw angles and houses on scratch paper in fifth grade. Now, as a freshman at McNary High School, she has taken her doodling to new heights in the school's Computer Aided Design class.
"I just finished designing a bridge and want to become an architect," she said.
Because of Project Lead the Way, middle school and high school students are being given the opportunity to focus on their academic talent and interest in a career in engineering. The result is a strong program that is about to become $95,000 stronger. The Engineering and Technology Industry Council awarded Salem-Keizer School District a pre-college grant for its Keizer Engineering and Applied Science Pathway through PLTW.
Lockheed Martin and Project Lead The Way Partner to Develop the Next Generation of Engineers
Curriculum Based Pre-Engineering Program Selected As Cornerstone of "Engineers in the Classroom" Initiative
Bethesda, Md. and Clifton Park, N.Y. - Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] and Project Lead The Way today announced their partnership in Engineers in the Classroom, Lockheed Martin’s innovative K-12 education outreach initiative designed to develop the next generation of engineers. Because of the looming shortfall of qualified engineers to fill the country’s technical workforce, developing engineers has become a national imperative.
Local Program 'Leading The Way' To Train Future Engineers
Forecasts predict a shortage of engineers in the next decade. But, one local project is getting kids in on the "ground floor."
By the year 2011, there will be a huge demand for engineers. That's why engineers, from all across the country, started "Project Lead The Way." It's a program to try and fill the expected gap by getting students involved early and on the right path to becoming an engineer.
Student engineers build their futures
BENNINGTON - Kyle Elithorpe, a high school student from Shaftsbury, used to have to walk across logs to cross the brook in his backyard. If the logs were washed downstream by spring floods, he would have to wade across.
But now, Elithorpe, a 17-year-old senior, can stroll above the water on a new 20-foot, wooden bridge he engineered and constructed for his semester-long project at the Southwest Vermont Career Development Center.
New President Selected for The Kern Family Foundation
The Kern Family Foundation Board of Directors has selected Jim Rahn to become the president of the Foundation effective February 1, 2008. Rahn joined the Foundation in 2007 as the education program director. Before joining the Foundation, he served on the faculty of Wisconsin Lutheran College and spent six years as the college’s director of urban teaching.
Article co-authored by two former PLTW students from Ohio accepted by and published in juried scientific publication.
To get a good idea of the rigor and relevance of the PLTW curriculum and the value of working closely with both business and industry and post secondary partners, please see this
October 2007 article from "Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry." Justin Perry and Ryan Brosnahan (responsible for the first draft of the article and listed as co-authors) were PLTW student interns at the University of Akron at the time the research was conducted and the article drafted. Both have since graduated from Akron Firestone High School (2007). Ryan is currently studying polymer science at the University of Akron and Justin is at Carnegie Mellon studying chemical engineering.
Charting a course.
Project Lead the Way uses Autodesk software to set America’s next generation
of engineers on the path to success.
Founded in 1997 to address the shortfall in students’ science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) has built a project-based learning program on a foundation of Autodesk® 3d software. PLTW programs engage middle- and high-school students with the software tools and challenges solved by engineers every day, bringing significant improvement in students’ prospects for academic and professional success.
High schools engineer new classes
Part of a nationwide standardized pre-engineering program called Project Lead the Way, the class is designed to encourage stu-dents’ interest in the engineering and science fields, said Dominic Audia, who teaches the class at both schools.
Pershing Middle School Engineering - Gateway Technology Class
Pershing's Pre-Engineering class desires to forge a new generation of engineers by giving them the knowledge and skills to exceed in the high tech fields of science, engineering, and engineering technology.
Introduction to Engineering
Class provides first step to applied science career
Eighth-graders at Lexington Trails Middle School were challenged Monday to make an egg float in water.
The challenge was delivered of the new engineering applications exploratory class offered to middle school students in De Soto USD 232. The semester-long class has sixth-graders focusing on aviation engineering, seventh-graders studying architectural engineering and eighth-graders focusing on industrial and bioscience engineering.
Monday’s lab was teaching the eighth-grade students about density. The students added one spoonful of salt to their beaker of water to see how much salt it would take to float their egg. Most of the eggs were floating after about six spoonfuls.
High school leads way for future engineers
PLEASANT PLAINS - A program that amounts to a four-year pre-engineering curriculum for high school students has kicked off at Pleasant Plains High School.
Part of the nationwide “Project Lead the Way” program, the curriculum is designed to encourage students to consider engineering as a career, helping counteract what many in the U.S. deem a critical shortage of college engineering graduates.
A group of nearly 50 ninth-graders from PPHS and New Berlin High School are participating in the program’s first year at Pleasant Plains. PPHS technology teacher Erik Rich, who received special training from Project Lead the Way, teaches the classes at the district’s south campus.
Minnesota high schools embrace pre-engineering classes.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported, "Now in its second year, the 'Project Lead the Way' [pre-engineering] program is available to students in all grades at Farmington High School. The program has been 'very popular' at the high school, according to Principal Monica Kittock-Sargent." Kittock-Sargent said, "I think the shortage of engineers has become very public. ... So it makes sense to start having our students at the high school think about that as a possibility and start getting their feet wet. Students are gravitating towards it." As "Department of Education has pushed school districts to offer 'STEM' classes," currently in "Minnesota, more than 120 middle and high schools offer 'Project Lead the Way,' with another 20 planning to start next fall." Since it began in 1997, the non-profit organization "Project Lead the Way" has carried out its mission "to 'create dynamic partnerships with our nation's schools to prepare an increasingly more diverse group of students to be successful in engineering and engineering technology programs.'"
Science-Technology Magnet School Creating Some Chemistry
New London -- Robert and Susan Lawrence believed in the value of the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut enough to stop home-schooling their son,William, last year and sign him up for the school's 10th grade.
At the time, the school,which opened its doors next to New London High School in September 2006, had little track record or reputation, just the promise of academic excellence focused around science and technology instruction.
Designated as a magnet school, the school uses a lottery system to draw about half its students from New London and half from other towns.
Waukegan High program whets interest in engineering careers
Using small wooden cubes, freshmen created cubic puzzles in a new industrial engineering and design class at Waukegan High School.
The class is part of Project Lead the Way, a four-year curriculum to introduce students to engineering prior to entering college. The United States has fallen behind in the number of engineers it produces, and the national program aims to boost the number of students pursuing the field, especially among women and minorities.
Drafting and technology classes have a new name and focus
WILLMAR — Drafting class has helped high school seniors Jon Mattison and Branden Jahnke understand why they needed to take all those math classes.
National program at RHAM prepares students for a future in engineering
Connecticut's Journal Inquirer reported, "A national engineering program has taken hold at RHAM High School in Hebron (Conn.), and is sending students to college with a year or more of experience in the field." Program Vice President Niel Tebbano said that the high school has added Project Lead the Way— "a national, nonprofit organization established to help schools give students the knowledge they need to succeed in high-tech fields" — to augment its own "program to address the shortage of engineers in this country." Students earn "three credits from the University of New Haven" for each RHAM class completed in this area.
"Classes available through the program at RHAM are introduction to engineering design, civil engineering and architecture, computer integrated manufacturing, principles of engineering, digital electronics, and aerospace engineering." The Inquirer added, "The only concern for the program at RHAM is that very few girls are looking into the program, a problem that the engineering industry in general is suffering from." The Inquirer noted that the "program also is taking steps to promote diversity.
The program has entered into a partnership with the National Academy of Engineering, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, and other groups to motivate females and minorities to enter the program."
Students blend math, science, technology
Middle school students in Pine River-Backus are involved in Project Lead the Way (PLTW): a program that brings real-world science, math, technology and engineering components into the classroom.
Project Lead the Way Inc. is a New York-based nonprofit that provides curriculum, training and support to member schools. PR-B unveiled a new computer lab and a remodeled room this fall with the help of a Kern Family Foundation grant.
16 High Schools Awarded Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Grants for Invention Projects
Grant Applications Now Available for 2008 – 2009 School Year
Cambridge, Mass., October 9, 2007 — When they’re not involved with after-school sports or part-time jobs, what do some of today’s most-ambitious high school students do with their spare time? They invent potential breakthrough technologies, from position-indicating radio beacons for commercial fishing vessels, to robotic coconut tree climbers, to gauging power potential via wind-sensing balloons.
To encourage this inventive spirit, the Lemelson-MIT Program has selected 16 new high schools to participate in its InvenTeams initiative and each school will receive up to $10,000 in grant funding for teams of students to identify a real-world problem and invent a practical solution to it. InvenTeams is a premier national grants initiative that enhances science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education by offering students a comprehensive, self-directed invention experience.
A prestigious panel of judges composed of educators and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, representatives from industry, MIT staff and alumni, and former Lemelson-MIT Award winners selected this year’s InvenTeams from a national pool of applicants.
“The InvenTeams applications we received this year were truly amazing,” said Leigh Estabrooks, the Lemelson-MIT Program’s InvenTeams grants officer. “The students all demonstrated imagination, initiative and confidence that they could help solve some of the pressing issues of our time.
“It’s imperative that we continue to foster this spirit of invention in today’s youth and enable teachers to create a culture of invention in their schools,” Estabrooks continued. “We hope the InvenTeams experience ignites passions for science, technology, engineering and math. We can’t wait to see the prototypes these students will invent and the relationships they will form through this experience.”
In addition to working with other students and their teachers, Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams are also encouraged to work with mentors from their communities. In many cases, companies support the work of individual InvenTeams by providing additional funding, materials and mentors who work alongside the students, offering them valuable insights and encouragement.
“The focus on real-world problem solving distinguishes InvenTeams from high school invention and robotics competitions,” Estabrooks said. “Everyone can get something valuable out of the experience, regardless of whether they are strong in science, engineering or math. As the National Science Foundation’s recent study on gender in science and engineering reports, hands-on opportunities and mentor support are especially critical in keeping girls interested in pursuing careers in the sciences.”
“The InvenTeams initiative embodies the Lemelson-MIT Program’s major goals: to inspire youth to pursue creative lives and careers through invention, and encourage mentoring relationships between established industry professionals and the innovators of tomorrow,” noted Joshua Schuler, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program. “InvenTeams teaches problem-solving, collaboration, presentation and project management skills that are valuable to lead creative, successful lives in college and beyond.”
The 2007–2008 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams come from public and private high schools in urban, suburban and rural communities across the United States. The grant recipients and their proposed inventions are:
East
- Charles Herbert Flowers High School (Springdale, Md.): Portable lock device for the blind
- Gann Academy (Waltham, Mass.): Weight-stabilizing compact stretcher
- Hiram High School (Hiram, Ga.): Automated floor mop and dryer
- Norview High School (Norfolk, Va.): Adaptive communication device for people with cerebral palsy
- Rockport High School (Rockport, Mass.): Pneumatic auto-deployment system for emergency position-indicating radio beacons on fishing vessels
- Saratoga Springs High School (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.): Plant and flower success indicator to measure garden conditions
- Sidwell Friends School (Washington, D.C.): Ice and frost prevention device for windshields
Central
- Brillion High School (Brillion, Wis.): Electric all-terrain multi-purpose lifting machine
- Edgewood Fine Arts Academy (San Antonio, Texas): Robotic butterfly
- Farmington Harrison High School (Farmington Hills, Mich.): Aquatic autonomous remote monitoring system to measure ecological variables
- Great River School (St. Paul, Minn.): Aerial wind-sensing device that determines optimal locations for wind turbines
- Saint Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights, Minn.): Electric motorcycle with compressible “crush zones” for urban commuter safety
- University of Chicago Laboratory School (Chicago, Ill.): Automatic pancake machine that integrates Web 2.0 technology
West
- Oregon Episcopal School (Portland, Ore.): Human-powered irrigation pump
- Troy High School (Fullerton, Calif.): Robotic coconut tree climbing device
- West Valley High School (Spokane, Wash.): Fish “escalator” to ferry salmon over man-made dams and into their spawning grounds
In addition to the 16 new InvenTeams this year, matching grants up to $2,000 are available to continuing InvenTeams to help sustain their interest in invention and extend the InvenTeams experience to more students. Continuation funds have enabled the Littleton High School InvenTeam from Littleton, N.H., to sustain a culture of invention and interest among students since its inaugural year in 2003.
Every spring, InvenTeams have the opportunity to demonstrate their inventions at the InvenTeams Odyssey at the MIT campus in Cambridge, Mass. This year, the InvenTeams Odyssey will be part of the Lemelson-MIT Program’s EurekaFest, which brings together prominent inventors, students and the Greater Boston community for a weeklong celebration of the inventive spirit.
InvenTeams applications for the 2008–2009 school year are now available at http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/.
About the Lemelson-MIT Program
The Lemelson-MIT Program recognizes outstanding inventors, encourages sustainable new solutions to real-world problems, and enables and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention.
Jerome H. Lemelson, one of the world's most prolific inventors, and his wife Dorothy founded the Lemelson-MIT Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. It is funded by the Lemelson Foundation, a private philanthropy that celebrates and supports inventors and entrepreneurs in order to strengthen social and economic life. More information on the Lemelson-MIT Program is online at http://web.mit.edu/invent/.
For More Information:
Sarah Piperato Melissa Makofske / Kayla Willis
Cone Lemelson-MIT Program
(617) 939-8388 (617) 452-2170 / (617) 258-0632
spiperato@coneinc.com melm@mit.edu / kwillis@mit.edu
Pre-engineering Students Propose Cafeteria Redesign
New York's Evening Telegram (10/24, Dunne) reported that New York's "Frankfort-Schuyler School Board heard a presentation Tuesday evening from a group of high school seniors who have been making their way through Project Lead the Way," which "is a pre-engineering program sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) that allows students to take college-level classes and earn RIT credits for the courses." The presentation centered on proposed changes to the school cafeteria's design, and included renovation and expansion, as well as tables that would make more efficient use of space. The students supported their proposals with "drawn-to-scale mock-ups, done on software designed for that purpose." Their efforts are the product of the school's first year of fully implementing the Project Lead the Way program.
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Autodesk Launches Academic Certification Program to Help Prepare the Next Generation of Professionals
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. today announced the launch of its academic certification program for secondary and post-secondary students. The Autodesk academic certification program enables students to earn a credential in recognition of their knowledge of specific Autodesk software applications. The credential that students earn is the same credential that design professionals earn, but it is offered at an affordable academic price.
Autodesk supports this program with an end-to-end certification solution that includes: a pre-assessment application proficiency exam, Autodesk official certification courseware for reviewing the knowledge and skills covered on the certification examinations, and certified user and certified expert examinations for validating knowledge and skills. Autodesk academic certification exams support career pathways in architecture and construction; manufacturing; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The exams are mapped to select state academic standards and national academic standards for science, technological literacy, mathematics and language arts.
"The Autodesk academic certification program offers schools an effective way to measure student competencies, key to assisting with federal and state accountability," said Nancy Headrick, assistant commissioner of the division of career education in the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. "The program will also help our students stay ahead of the curve in their academic and professional careers."
Paul Mailhot, senior director of worldwide education programs for Autodesk, said, "The Autodesk certification program extends our commitment to helping academic institutions prepare the next generation of design and engineering professionals. The exams provide a unique way for schools to demonstrate the progress they're making in the classroom with project-based learning and problem-solving with real-world tools that give students a competitive edge for future academic and professional success."
How the Certification Program Works
Schools that choose to deliver the Autodesk academic certification exams can become authorized certification centers and have the flexibility to offer exams to students at the school's convenience. The Web-delivered exams are performance-based rather than traditional multiple choice, requiring students to demonstrate their skills by using Autodesk applications such as AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor Professional, Revit Architecture and AutoCAD Civil 3D software products to solve real-world problems.
The Autodesk academic certification program offers a proficiency examination that assesses student readiness for certification and can help educators determine what level of instruction is best for individual students. Also available is the Autodesk official certification courseware, which educators can either integrate as core text or supplemental instruction material in the classroom. The certified user and certified expert examinations validate student knowledge and skills.
When a student passes a certification exam, he or she will receive an electronic certificate and can also opt to be listed in an Autodesk- maintained, publicly available database of certified users and experts. Certified students can also differentiate themselves in the competitive job market by using the Autodesk certification logo on resumes, portfolios and other collateral.
Preparing the Next Generation of Professionals
Secondary and post-secondary schools throughout the United States can combine certification exams with the Autodesk Design Academy and the Autodesk Design Institute solutions. These specialized solutions combine project-based curriculum with cutting-edge 2D and 3D design software applications from Autodesk.
"With the release of the Autodesk academic certification program, we now have a full solution for teaching and assessment which is critical in preparing the next generation of engineers and designers," said Niel Tebbano, vice president of Project Lead the Way, a national pre-engineering program that offers pre-engineering and science curricula for middle- and high-school students.
For more information about the Autodesk academic certification program, visit http://www.autodesk.com/certification.
About Autodesk Education
Autodesk is committed to supporting students and educators by providing access to powerful 2D and 3D design software, innovative programs and resources designed to inspire the next generation of professionals to experience their ideas before they're real. By advancing education in the key areas of science, technology, engineering, math and visual communications, Autodesk is helping students develop critical skills for future academic and career success. Autodesk supports schools and institutions of higher learning worldwide through substantial discounts, subscriptions, grant programs, training, curricula development and community resources. For more information about Autodesk education programs and solutions, visit http://www.autodesk.com/education.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk, visit http://www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Civil 3D, Inventor and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
Engineering a Blueprint for Success
Amid the clicking of computer mice and muted consultation, Wheaton High School teacher Marcus Lee’s class of 11th and 12th graders pored over the electronic blueprint for a four-story building they were designing on their desktops. The calculations for each floor needed to be set just right if the structure was to stand on its own. “What we want to do is lay a foundation,” Mr. Lee explained. He was addressing the students in his civil-engineering and architecture class, but he could just as well have been talking about the goal of his school’s Academy of Engineering—and that of Project Lead the Way, the national curriculum it uses.
Collaboration key to making Indiana PLTW first in nation
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Indiana Project Lead the Way, part of a national non-profit program that provides engineering and technology education curricula for teachers in middle and high schools, has grown to 231 schools this year, a 45 percent increase from 2006.
The increase puts it first in the nation for schools implementing the Project Lead the Way curriculum.
Michael O'Hair, associate dean for engagement in Purdue's College of Technology and co-chairman of Indiana Project Lead the Way, credits the spike in participation to several factors, with the common thread being the collaborative effort among Purdue, state agencies and schools.
"We've had steady growth since the program started in Indiana in 2001, but it's been significant in the past year due to continued and strong support and collaboration with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Department of Education," he said. "Their backing has enabled us to get the word out to schools, receive more funding and grow the program in new directions."
In 2006 there were 159 schools in Indiana offering the pre-engineering program, and this year there are 231 participating schools.
O'Hair said that two recent developments - a new curriculum focus and an influx of funding – will result in even greater growth.
Project Lead the Way has traditionally been focused on increasing the number and quality of engineers and engineering technologists, but this fall the program expanded to offer a college-level course that focuses on the principles of biomedical sciences.
Indiana is one of seven states piloting the program in biomedical sciences, and 15 high schools are offering the course, more than twice the number of any other state.
The high schools offering the new curriculum each received $25,000 from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to start the program.
Terri Schulz, leader of program innovation for the department, said they supported the pilot program because the biomedical industry is a high-skill, high-wage industry that is growing rapidly in the state.
"There's a tremendous demand for highly educated workers from the many biomedical-based companies we have in Indiana, and the Project Lead the Way curriculum is a great way to get students interested early," she said. "Those who complete degrees in biomedical sciences can go on to careers as doctors, dentists,, registered nurses, laboratory technicians and other roles in health care. The rigorous, problem-based curriculum is a great foundation for any postsecondary course of study."
Schulz said offering a health-care component in Project Lead the Way will help attract more girls to the program, which, with its focus on engineering, has traditionally attracted mostly males.
One course is currently being offered, but the plan calls for additional courses to be available in years two, three and four of the program, focusing on human body systems, medical intervention and science research, respectively.
An added feature of the biomedical sciences courses is that they can be counted toward an academic honors diploma, said Patty Shutt, director of the office of career and technical education at the Indiana Department of Education.
"What's great about these courses is that they are college-level courses that will prepare students to enroll in scientific programs in college, but even if they don't pursue these careers, the courses will expand their thinking in ways traditional high school science courses might not," she said.
Shutt said that by next year, they hope to have 50 schools around the state signed up for the classes.
The other factor that will likely result in more growth for Project Lead the Way is a $1.57 million investment that Indiana WIRED (Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development) made in the program. WIRED's support provides funding for 74 additional schools to train teachers and purchase software and equipment to be able to offer the Project Lead the Way curriculum, as well as funding for a computer-integrated manufacturing course. The grant is for 14 counties in the north-central Indiana WIRED region.
Indiana WIRED will provide a $15,000 incentive for each of the 31 high schools and 43 middle schools in its area that have not yet implemented the program. It is estimated that in the first year each high school would have to invest about $25,000 for training, hardware, software and other expenses to start the program, and that cost is about $20,000 for each middle school.
O'Hair said the funding doesn't guarantee that all 74 schools will implement the program, but it does greatly increase the chances that the program will grow.
Purdue is the project administrator for Indiana WIRED.
O'Hair said the spirit of collaboration in Project Lead the Way is a major reason why so many teachers and administrators request that the program be implemented in their schools. This collaboration was honored in 2005 when Indiana Project Lead the Way, which is administered by Purdue's College of Technology and the state's departments of Education and Workforce Development, was given a national award for efforts to work together to address the shortage of U.S. engineering and engineering technology students.
"We are growing due to this strong support and also because of word of mouth," O'Hair said. "The students are saying they want these courses, the teachers are saying they want the training to teach the courses, and we're hearing from employers that they like the qualities that the students possess once they've been through the program: critical thinking, teamwork, leadership and real-world experience.
"The interest and corresponding growth is an indication that we're doing something right."
Purdue is the affiliate university for Project Lead the Way in the state. The university also is responsible for training the program's high school teachers for the pre-engineering curriculum. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is responsible for training teachers involved in the biomedical sciences courses.
Purdue's engineering/technology teacher education program, which is part of the College of Technology, last year received the nation's first Project Lead the Way certification to offer its graduates Project Lead the Way engineering teacher credentials at the same time they receive their diplomas and Indiana technology education teaching licenses. In 2004 and 2006, the program was chosen as the outstanding engineering and technology teacher education program by the Association for Career and Technical Education's Engineering and Technology Education Division.
Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu
Sources: Michael O'Hair, (765) 494-2554, mtohair@purdue.edu
Terri Schulz, (317) 233-5663, TSchulz@dwd.IN.gov
Patty Shutt, (317) 232-9162, pshutt@doe.state.in.us
Related Web site:
Indiana Project Lead the Way: http://www.pltw.purdue.edu
Autodesk Student Community Announced
PLTW is pleased to announce the availability of the Autodesk Student Community site to all Project Lead The Way, Inc trained teachers and students. Full instructions are available in the tech support section of the Project Lead the Way, Inc. Virtual Academy (www.pltw.org/moodle) by logging in as a guest. The Autodesk Student Community will provide students with free downloads of Autodesk software and teachers the opportunity to communicate with fellow PLTW™ educators nationwide.
The new secondary community is a natural extension of the Autodesk Student Engineering and Design Community for post-secondary educators and students. "Autodesk created this community to support a number of STEM initiatives happening throughout the country, such as Project Lead the Way” said Paul Mailhot, Senior Director of Worldwide Education Programs at Autodesk. "We hope teachers will take advantage of resources on the community site to help them integrate relevant and engaging projects in the classroom, and we hope that students who explore the site will realize how exciting design and engineering can be”.
Teachers who join the Autodesk Student Engineering and Design Community get access to popular 3D design software and teaching and learning resources that will enable them to become familiar with new design technology and incorporate project-based learning into the classroom. Teacher members also have the opportunity to share coursework, discuss projects and best practices with peers to find the best ways to inspire their students.
Middle and high-school students who join the community will benefit from access to the same 3D design software used by industry professionals, and gain general exposure to the fields of architecture, construction, mechanical engineering, industrial design, civil engineering, animation, and gaming. In addition to free student versions of Autodesk software, the community provides students with tutorials for these applications; a “getting started” area and information about design-related college and career paths.
"Both Project Lead the Way and Autodesk are committed to preparing the nation's future technical workforce through better STEM education," said Niel Tebbano, Vice President, PLTW™. "Our partnership offers a powerful instructional dynamic that benefits students and educators, and we are pleased that the new Autodesk community will further support our mission.”
ANNOUNCEMENT
Project Lead The Way, Inc. adds Poll to its Biomedical Sciences Curriculum Ranks
Stephanie Poll has joined Project Lead The Way, Inc. as an Associate Director for Biomedical Sciences Curriculum. Stephanie joins Project Lead The Way, Inc. from Howard County Schools in Ellicott City, Maryland. As a classroom teacher, Stephanie taught high school biology, AP biology, biotechnology, and anatomy and physiology. She also worked as a research coordinator at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Stephanie helped develop the curriculum for Principles of the Biomedical Sciences, the first course in the Biomedical Sciences sequence of courses being developed by Project Lead The Way, Inc. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences and Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Walking out of my first Project Lead The Way® curriculum development meeting two years ago, I knew I was hooked,” notes Stephanie. “The staff’s genuine enthusiasm for developing curriculum that motivates students and makes science content come alive in context is inspiring. I am truly honored to be a part of this great undertaking, and I look forward to seeing how far we can take the new Biomedical Sciences curriculum.”
“I am excited about the opportunities ahead with Stephanie joining our team,” observes Richard Grimsley, Acting Vice President for Programs. “She brings a wealth of experience that will continue to allow Project Lead The Way, Inc. to push the envelope of excellence.”
The Biomedical Sciences curriculum team will develop a four course sequence. The first course in the sequence, Principles of the Biomedical Sciences, is being field tested in seven states in the Project Lead The Way® network of schools. The other courses under development are Human Body Systems, Medical Interventions, and Scientific Research.
Autodesk Provides Student Grants for STEPS Academy
As part of its ongoing commitment to foster the next generation of engineering professionals, Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) announced today a financial donation to the Science, Technology and Engineering Preview Summer (STEPS) Academy established by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) for middle-school students. The grant will be used to sponsor one student at each of the 62 STEPS Academy programs scheduled across the United States this summer.
SME Education Foundation and PLTW created the STEPS Academy to give middle-school students positive, hands-on manufacturing experiences and expose them to exciting careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Autodesk has partnered with PLTW for 10 years, providing access to powerful Autodesk 2D and 3D design software that allows students to experience their ideas before they’re real and to understand the real-world relevance of STEM subjects. Autodesk funding of STEPS Academy complements the company’s donation of software to other summer and school-year middle- and high-school programs through PLTW.
"Autodesk, Project Lead the Way and the SME Education Foundation are all committed to improving STEM education," said Bart Aslin, SME Education Foundation director. "Our collaboration benefits students, educators and the industry by equipping the future workforce with the skills necessary for success.”
At each STEPS Academy, PLTW-certified instructors facilitate project-based instruction and activities. Participants sample engineering disciplines related to robotics, electronics and aerospace, using the leading-edge Autodesk technology that they are likely to encounter when they study these subjects in college. This program format is designed to motivate students to participate in PLTW Gateway to Technology courses that take place during the school year, and to encourage enrollment in more advanced science and math courses in preparation for college.
"Autodesk is proud to support the STEPS Academy,” said Gary Conrad, North American education programs manager for Autodesk. “This program plays a vital role in STEM education by giving younger students the opportunity to learn the professional tools being used by today’s designers and engineers throughout the world. We hope this program will help prepare future generations to sustain U.S. leadership in design and engineering innovation.”
Autodesk is investing in a number of programs to improve STEM education throughout the country, and recently launched an online community for middle- and high-school educators and students to improve learning outcomes in STEM subjects. The Autodesk Student Engineering and Design Community provides free* access to popular 2D and 3D design software, as well as myriad resources to promote project-based learning, from curricula and a teacher-only discussion forum, to projects and homework help for students, and more. Any middle- or high-school educator or student can join the community at www.autodesk.com/school.
About the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation is one of the nation’s leading non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing manufacturing education. Its approach is threefold: to inspire youth to pursue careers in manufacturing; to support students studying for a career in an engineering-related field; and prepare these students through its Manufacturing Education Plan grant program in colleges and technical schools. The Foundation has provided more than $21 million in grants, scholarships and awards. The Education Foundation was created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979 as a means of transforming manufacturing education in North American colleges and universities.
About Project Lead the Way
Project Lead the Way is a not-for-profit organization that promotes pre-engineering courses for middle- and high-school students. PLTW forms partnerships with public schools, higher education institutions and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from our educational system.
About Autodesk Education
Autodesk supports worldwide academic achievement and lifelong learning by providing 2D and 3D solutions for teaching and learning design in the fields of manufacturing, industrial design, architecture, construction, civil engineering, and media and entertainment. Autodesk is committed to helping the next generation of engineers, architects and designers experience their ideas before they are real by making state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions available inside and outside of the classroom through substantial discounts, subscriptions, grant programs, training, curricula development and community resources.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation.
McCann PLTW News
Pre-Engineering Newsletter at McCann Technical School
ANNOUNCEMENT
Project Lead The Way, Inc. Adds Terrell and Hirsh To Its Curriculum Ranks
Wes Terrell and B.J. Hirsch have joined Project Lead The Way, Inc. as Associate Directors for Engineering Curriculum. Both Wes and BJ have been trained master teachers and taught several PLTW courses prior to joining Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Wes Terrell joins Project Lead The Way, Inc. from Lafayette Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana. As a classroom teacher, he has taught high school technology education courses and computer software courses to adults. He has also worked as the Principles Of Engineering Assessment Coordinator. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, in Technology Education and is completing his Master’s of Education at Purdue University in Career and Technical Education Administration and Supervision.
“I have seen the impact that PLTW courses have on students in the classroom and know that the program is changing the landscape of education across the country. I feel privileged to have an opportunity to be a part of the curriculum team as we face the challenges of continued success,” notes Wes.
B.J. joins Project Lead The Way, Inc. from Cabot High School in Cabot, Arkansas. As a classroom teacher, she has taught high school mathematics, computer literacy and engineering courses. She has taught hundreds of technology workshops for teachers in Arkansas and has been a Master Teacher in Introduction to Engineering Design for the past three years. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Mathematics from the University of Central Arkansas and is a Microsoft certified expert in Microsoft Office.
“This opportunity is an exciting one; I look forward to working with the curriculum team. It is an honor to have this chance. As Henry David Thoreau said, ‘The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when someone asked me what I thought, and actually [listened to] my answer’,” says B.J.
“I am excited about the opportunities ahead with these two individuals joining our team,” noted Richard Grimsley, Acting Vice President for Program. “They both bring a wealth of experience that will continue to allow Project Lead The Way to reach higher levels of excellence.”
The engineering curriculum team will oversee the roll out of the revised Introduction to Engineering Design™ and Engineering Design and Development™ courses. The team will continue the rewrite process for Principles Of Engineering™, Computer Integrated Manufacturing™, and Digital Electronics™. The team will also be working collaboratively with other members of the leadership staff on the Virtual Academy and other curricular pieces needed for the organization.
Schools Try To Respond To Arrival of Toyota Plant
Toyota wants multi-skilled problem solvers in its northeast Mississippi work force, and it wants the local K-12 and postsecondary institutions to help get the training started.
The startup of the company's northeastern Mississippi manufacturing plant will mark what a Toyota official said is the first time Toyota has ever directly encouraged primary and secondary schools to implement programs where students develop teamwork and problem-solving skills that the company hopes encourage students' interest in technical careers.
At the high school level, that program is called Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit organization that offers a series of pre-engineering courses focusing on problem solving and technical skills. Teachers from the local schools are trained to teach the classes, and students can take the classes as electives with their other required high school courses.
Toyota officials recently met with administrators from northeast Mississippi school districts to encourage them to start the programs at their districts.
According to Project Lead the Way's Web site at www.pltw.org, equipment and software costs for the entire multi-course program are about $95,000 and could be split over a few years if a district didn't implement all of the courses at once. The money covers technical equipment purchase, installation and teacher training.
Gateway to Technology, a precursor to Project Lead the Way for middle school students, costs about $50,000.
Although company officials don't yet know whether Toyota will financially support the program - it's still in the planning stages and no funding sources have been identified - Toyota is encouraging districts to sign onto Project Lead the Way by telling them the benefits its students could have if they become interested in technological careers early and stick with it - good jobs at the new Toyota Highlander manufacturing facility in Blue Springs or at one of Toyota's nearby suppliers.
Dennis Parker, manager of the multiskilled maintenance development program at Toyota's North American Production Support Center in Kentucky, said Toyota would ideally like to strengthen the overall workforce wherever it has manufacturing plants because it strengthens not just the company and its suppliers but the schools and the entire community, too.
The new plant is expected to employ 2,000 when it opens in 2010 and later expand to 4,000 employees. Some of the nearby school districts include Baldwyn, Tupelo, Nettleton, New Albany and Pontotoc City, and Pontotoc, Lee and Union counties.
"One of our philosophies is that everybody wins some way," Parker said. "I think that Project Lead the Way is probably the best broad-based program that I have seen to give kids hands-on activities, is challenging at a high level, and really lets these kids use their brains."
"Right now we're painting the picture," Parker said. "Schools that have these are really going to be a step ahead."
In the few weeks since Toyota first discussed its educational interest with K-12 administrators and staff, at least one school district has tentatively stepped on the bandwagon.
South Tippah School District in Ripley wants in, said Tippah County Vocational Director Lane Bell, but right now is faced with figuring out what it would take to implement it. He knows there isn't enough time to get the program together for this school year because of the necessary teacher training and equipment costs.
Bell said he was impressed after visiting Scott County, Ky., where Toyota has a large manufacturing facility, to see how that county's school system integrated Project Lead the Way into its curriculum. He said the project fits well with the Mississippi Department of Education's recent high school redesign, which partially focuses on rewriting vocational courses.
"Students can go through (Project Lead the Way), go to the junior colleges and work at Toyota or one of their suppliers," Bell said. Toyota has also been working with two community colleges - Itawamba and Northeast Mississippi community colleges - to get specialized associate degree programs established there that will feed Toyota's future workforce and the workforce of Toyota suppliers.
Carolyn Helm, the director of pre-engineering curriculum for the Southern Regional Education Board, has been working with different school districts to get Project Lead the Way started and will travel to South Tippah School District in a few weeks to talk feasibility with them.
Helm said having a curriculum that teaches problem-solving skills to students could give them an edge in the job market.
"How do you teach somebody to solve problems overnight?" Helm said.
Project Lead the Way is in its 10th year, starting with only three schools in 1997 and now operating in 2,200 schools in 49 states for the start of the 2007-08 school year. Helm estimated 350,000 students across the country are taking Project Lead the Way courses.
Mississippi just has one school district with a working Project Lead the Way program.
In West Point School District, about 60 miles from where Toyota will be, Superintendent Steve Montgomery says he is proud his 3,500-student district has had Project Lead the Way for two years now, since before anyone knew Toyota would locate in the region.
"We want these kids to have the skills that (employers) are looking for," Montgomery said. He said the district spent about $110,000 to put in two Project Lead the Way labs.
Rob Smith, who oversees the program in West Point, said the district has offered itself as a resource for other districts that want to implement the program.
"It's all about creating a critically-thinking, problem-solving student," Smith said.
Bell said if his school district is able to implement Project Lead the Way, it would take until the 2008-09 school year to get it going because of the equipment purchases and teacher training that is necessary.
"It's just all moving so quick and we don't want to be left behind," Bell said.
©2007 The Clarion-Ledger. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.clarionledger.com
SME Education Foundation Partners with Project Lead The Way, Inc.
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation announced the locations of 62 Science, Technology & Engineering PreviewSummer (STEPS) Academies to be offered at partner schools across the
country in 2007.
Project Lead The Way Students - Helping People with Disabilities
Posted on Thu, May. 03, 2007
BY GLADYS AMADOR
Budding engineers design devices to aid the disabled
When rainy weather strikes, Susanna Morse can't hold an umbrella and maneuver her electric wheelchair at the same time.
Intrigued by the problem, some students at Gulliver Preparatory School set to work solving it. They unveiled their solution last week: an automatic, retractable canopy that attaches to the chair frame.
''I think they did a great job finding a real solution for a real problem,'' said Morse, who was born with spinal atrophy.
Four other prototypes geared toward helping disabled people -- an effort known as the Gulliver Project -- also were revealed at the school's third annual Engineering Showcase held at the Pinecrest Preparatory Auditorium, 8000 SW 56th St. on April 26.
The results amazed parents, faculty and the special guests who inspired the innovations.
''The projects weren't for a grade or for competition; they were to help change someone's life, or at least the way they live it,'' said senior Kelly Valencia, who has taken engineering classes at the school for three years.
A seven-member team created the prototype for the canopy, which is powered by the electric wheelchair. Supported by a steel frame, the waterproof canopy moves with the push of a button, providing some protection from UV rays as well as rain. It's clear to allow for visibility.
''Last year, we won first place in a national competition where students presented their projects to get people with disabilities back into the workplace,'' said engineering teacher Claude Charron. The experience sparked passion in his engineering students, who wanted to make practical inventions that would help make everyday ventures easy, he said.
Sandy Robinson, a special events coordinator at Gulliver and volunteer with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Shake-A-Leg-Miami, arranged for the students to meet people with disabilities.
Robinson coordinated a field trip to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis center, where the budding engineers met founding member Marc Buoniconti, who suffered a spinal cord injury during a college football game. The center raises money for research.
''They were really motivated and touched,'' Robinson said of the visit.
A second project displayed at the showcase was a safety alert system, inspired by Kerry Gruson and devised by seniors Saheelan Sinnarajah, Woby Lang and Danielle Dorfman.
Gruson, 59, was left a paraplegic from being nearly strangled during an interview with a Vietnam veteran when she was 25 and on her way to Vietnam as a reporter. She worked for 28 years in The New York Times' Miami bureau, retiring in 2005.
A few years ago, she fell from her wheelchair onto the ground, where she remained for hours unable to call for help.
''This is a problem that affects many people and could be potentially deadly if they are left there too long,'' Danielle said. ``So we wanted to make our project something that would prevent that from happening.''
The safety alert prototype incorporates two existing technologies into one device that will detect when someone falls out of his wheelchair and activates a cellphone to call an emergency contact.
A magnetic ''fall prevention alarm'' goes off when a cord, attached to the device and the back of the user's shirt, disconnects. Then, a spring attached to the magnet expands, activating a lever to press the call button on a cellphone.
The Gulliver Project ''is a marvelous program that makes a real difference in people's lives,'' Gina Sacasa-Ross, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy eight years ago, said at the showcase.
Sacasa-Ross, 65, is a reporter with Diario Las Americas who inspired students Krizia Torres and Rodrigo Seira to copy the automatic canopy idea for her walker.
''I think it turned out great,'' said Sacasa-Ross. ``Best of all, it engages young minds to think about those with disabilities.''
Another presentation showcased the prototype for an autonomous vehicle that students eventually hope to make into a wheelchair. The final design will integrate a touch pad and voice activation.
Originally, they wanted to create a robot with programmed locations and multiple sensors, but they tweaked their design into a vehicle.
© 2007 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com
Memorial High School, IN, Leads The Way
A new curriculum implemented by Memorial High School during the 2005-06 school year could be a solution to one of Indiana's economic problems—a lack of residents trained in engineering, science and technology careers.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Blais, Grimsley Given New Responsibilities in Project Lead The Way, Inc. Reorganization
At its recent April meeting in Chicago, the Project Lead The Way, Inc. Board of Directors approved a new organizational structure intended to continue to grow its capacity to best serve its rapidly expanding network of schools and partners.
Dick Blais, formerly Vice President of Program, was named Vice President for State and Corporate Relations. Blais will lead and grow the organization’s capability to work with the growing interests expressed by states, corporations and private foundations in the work being done by Project Lead The Way, Inc. in education and workforce development.
“Dick has always excelled in these aspects of cultivating and engaging strategic partners from government, business and philanthropy in our mission,” noted Richard Liebich, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Interest in what we are doing as an organization from these quarters has increased concurrently with the proliferation of our program in the nation’s schools. Dick’s appointment to this new role is timely and essential at this juncture.”
Blais has been with Project Lead The Way, Inc. since its inception in 1996 and is credited with its establishment as a growing educational influence in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics arena.
Richard Grimsley, formerly Associate Vice President for Program, has been named Acting Vice President for Program. Richard will oversee all curricular and professional development activities for Project Lead The Way, Inc. in both its engineering and biomedical sciences programs.
“Richard has demonstrated his deep understanding of program and his ability to facilitate continuous improvement processes vital in keeping Project Lead The Way, Inc. on target with high expectations for teaching and learning,” added Liebich. “His oversight of these fundamental and critical components of what essentially defines us as an educational organization, will assure our continued presence as a leader in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education well into the future.”
Grimsley joined Project Lead The Way, Inc. in 2002 as a Regional Director and has also served as its Director of University Initiatives prior to assuming the associate vice president role for program in 2006.
Additional new hires of personnel to both State and Corporate Relations and to Program will be announced in the near future, all intended to further augment the organization’s capacity to assure continued quality and support for its expanding network.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Joy Garton Krueger Joins Project Lead The Way, Inc.
as Director of Assessment and Evaluation
Joy Garton Krueger, Ph.D, most recently with the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Program of the Purdue University College of Engineering, has joined Project Lead The Way, Inc. (PLTW) as Director of Assessment and Evaluation. She brings a vast experience in higher education and P/K-12 leadership, teaching, program development and evaluation, and research to the PLTW initiative.
Dr. Krueger earned her doctorate at Purdue University College of Education from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in Instructional Research and Development. She has served Purdue University in several roles throughout her fifteen year tenure. In addition to EPICS, she has provided assessment and evaluation expertise to multi-disciplinary engineering, problem based, hands-on programs including Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP), National and Purdue Idea to Product Competitions for EPICS and Social Entrepreneurship, and the HP Digital Publishing educational effort. Through these opportunities Krueger helped to develop mutually beneficial relationships between universities, school districts, and community and business partners; effective learning environments; and rigorous outcomes where students develop and apply technical and non-technical skills necessary for careers in the STEM areas. Of specific interest is the degree to which these instructional innovations positively influence those who might not otherwise flourish in conventional learning environments.
Prior to her faculty appointment, Dr. Krueger was the University Registrar and Assistant Dean in Purdue’s College of Education. In her respective roles, she was responsible for academic policy development and analysis, national and state peer reviews, programmatic evaluations, and outcomes-based curricular development. Krueger began her career in education as an elementary and middle school science instructor in Michigan and Indiana and is credentialed as an elementary and secondary principal and superintendent.
In her new role with PLTW Dr. Krueger will facilitate and provide leadership in all facets of PLTW program evaluation. In collaboration with the evaluation firm, TrueOutcomes, Inc. of York, Pennsylvania, this will include working with state departments of education in the synthesis and analysis of PLTW student achievement, studying the program’s impact on college engineering programs and its effect in the nation’s engineering and technical workplace. She will also facilitate the development of end-of-course examinations for the PLTW high school program.
“Joy brings an immense and varied experience to Project Lead The Way,” notes Niel Tebbano, Vice President for Operations. “She has effectively contributed to educational efforts at the K-12 and postsecondary school levels. Her knowledge of K-12 education, engineering education, and research and program evaluation make her uniquely and most highly qualified to facilitate and lead PLTW’s evaluation efforts. We are enthusiastic and pleased that she will be joining in our mission.”
Krueger commented, “I receive my greatest professional fulfillment when I’m able to work on behalf of K-12 educators and students as together we engage, develop, and achieve to solve real problems in challenging and fun STEM learning environments. Project Lead the Way provides an atmosphere for divergent thinking and leadership to emerge and learning to be mastered. I trust that my contribution to PLTW will further strengthen, develop, and validate best practices and performance outcomes necessary to successfully prepare our most creative and diverse generation for the highly competitive STEM professions.”
For Immediate Release:
Gillibrand Promotes STEM Education During
National Engineers Week
Saratoga Springs, NY- This week, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand used National Engineers Week to help promote a local educational outreach program that has spread nationwide. The program, which started in Clifton Park, NY, is called Project Lead The Way (PLTW).
"There is much concern about building America's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in this country," said Gillibrand. "As
New Yorkers and Americans, we must produce more STEM graduates as they are the generation that will make the United States energy independent, build our country's infrastructure and ensure longer life spans through medical technology."
Congresswoman Gillibrand sent a letter with an educational brochure describing the program and its importance to our educational system to each one of her Congressional colleagues in Washington D.C.
Project Lead The Way is a non-profit program supported by private partnerships and foundations and has developed a four-year sequence of courses which introduces students to the scope, rigor and discipline of engineering and technology prior to entering college. This program has successfully shown young people the importance and career applications of study in the STEM disciplines.
Currently, Project Lead The Way is in 47 states and 1500 schools nationwide. Their growth and success is buoyed by recognition from the National Academy of Science and their renowned report, 'Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future', which cited Project Lead The Way as a model curriculum with "world class standards." Over 300,000 students have taken a Project Lead The Way course and PLTW students are five times more likely than the national average to elect engineering and related majors.
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation Announces $900,000 in Youth Program Funding for 2007
DEARBORN, Mich. — The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation announced today that it would commit $900,000 in 2007 to youth programs that expose students to the exciting possibilities of manufacturing and engineering careers. The funding will support Science, Technology and Engineering Preview Summer (STEPS) Camps and Academies as well as Project Lead the Way’s (PLTW) “Gateway to Technology” middle school curriculum.
The SME Education Foundation’s 2007 funding will support STEPS Academies and PLTW’s Gateway to Technology programs in 13 states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. In addition, the SME Education Foundation is partnering with the Silver Crescent Foundation to create two STEPS Academies and PLTW programs in South Carolina. The Foundation’s funding will also support nine STEPS camps in five states: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to create and support programs like STEPS and PLTW that have such incredible potential to inspire students to pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering,” said Glen Pearson, president, SME Education Foundation. “By investing in these programs, we have a chance to make a real difference in the future of manufacturing and, as a result, the future of America’s economy.”
This is the SME Education Foundation’s 11th year of support for the STEPS programs, which began as STEPS Camps for girls, at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1997 with the Foundation’s funding. STEPS Camps, residential programs held at colleges and universities, use hands-on experience with high-tech equipment to inspire students’ interest in science, technology and engineering careers.
In order to increase the programs’ reach, the SME Education Foundation partnered with Project Lead the Way to create STEPS Academies for middle school students. These co-ed day camps use PLTW’s exciting
curriculum to ignite students’ interest in engineering and technology as well as to interest them in
taking PLTW’s Gateway to Technology curriculum during the school year.
Established in 1980, the SME Education Foundations has contributed more than $3 million over the past 11 years to support youth programs and initiatives that inspire, support and prepare young people for careers in manufacturing.For more information about these and other SME Education Foundation programs, go to www.sme.org/foundation.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The SME Education Foundation’s 2007 funding will support the following STEPS Academies and Camps with funding partners noted:
- California, 9 STEPS Academies
- Colorado, 6 STEPS Academies, with support from Intel Corporation
- Connecticut, 2 STEPS Academies
- Illinois, 2 STEPS Academies, 2 STEPS Camps, with support from the Kern Family Foundation
- Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, 5 STEPS Academies, with support from the Kauffman Foundation
- Michigan, 4 STEPS Camps, with support from Automation Alley
- Minnesota, 1 STEPS Camp, with support from the Kern Family Foundation
- New York, 1 STEPS Academy
- Ohio, 7 STEPS Academies
- Pennsylvania, 4 STEPS Academies
- South Carolina, 2 STEPS Academies, with support from the Silver Crescent Foundation
- South Dakota, 1 STEPS Camp
- Tennessee, 1 STEPS Academy
- Texas, 2 STEPS Academies, with support from Intel Corporation
- Utah, 2 STEPS Academies
- Wisconsin, 2 STEPS Academies, 1 STEPS Camp, with support from the Kern Family Foundation
# # #
About the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation is one of the nation’s leading non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing manufacturing education. Its approach is three-fold: to inspire youth to pursue careers in manufacturing; to support students studying for a career in an engineering-related field and prepare these students through its Manufacturing Education Plan grant program in colleges and technical schools. Since 1980, the Foundation has provided more than $19 million in grants, scholarships and awards. The Education Foundation was created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979 as a means of transforming manufacturing education in North American colleges and universities.
SME Education Foundation, One SME Drive, Dearborn, MI 48130
Aerospace Endorsement
Aerospace Industry Association (AIA), premier trade association representing the nation's major aerospace and defense manufacturers.
Project helps students use math, science lessons.
Liberty Junior High is one of eight area schools to put pre-engineering program to the test. By LINDSAY HANSON METCALF, The Kansas City Star
PLTW Announces New Community College Associates Program
Project Lead The Way announces its new Community College Associates program for community colleges interested in offering PLTW's Pathway to Engineering courses.
Richard Liebich, PLTW CEO, has been recognized by the Manhattan Institute with its Social Entrepreneur Award for 2006 for Project Lead The Way
The Manhattan Institute's Social Entrepreneurship Initiative is proud to announce the five winners of its Sixth Annual Social Entrepreneurship Award. The Initiative honors nonprofit leaders who have found innovative, private solutions for some of America's most pressing social problems with little or no government financial aid.
Teen puts her car on speed dial Spa City student devises way to start car with just a cell phone
"I wanted to think of something outside the box," she said of her capstone project for Engineering Design and Development, the final course in Project Lead The Way, a four-year, pre-engineering curriculum offered at the school.
