Project Lead The Way Encourages Female Participation
The Pre-Engineering Times, Editor: Celeste Baine
December 9, 2003 Issue #26
Although PLTW believes all high school students can benefit from its pre-engineering program, it has taken some new steps to encourage females to consider the field.
PLTW has found that the sequence of its courses has a positive effect on girls’ continued participation. For that reason, Principles of Engineering has become the introductory course in the six-course sequence. Of increased interest to females, Civil Engineering/ Architecture and Biotechnical Engineering are two new courses in development.
In both curriculum development and ongoing training, PLTW has increased the number of females in its own professional staff who understand and share the challenges they faced in entering the field.
Finally, through an agreement with WAMC-FM in Albany, NY, PLTW will introduce teachers during summer training to the station’s series of interviews with women who have become successful in math, science, and technology.
In addition, PLTW has placed the series on its website for
students and teachers to use in research on what drew these women to these
fields.