Grant from Cargill Provides Four Local Schools with Funds to Implement the Project Lead The Way STEM Education program that Prepares Students for Careers in the 21st Century Miami, FL -- Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of rigorous science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, announced today that four more schools in the Miami-Dade school district will begin implementing its curriculum in Fall 2010. Cargill, headquartered in Minneapolis, has committed more than $2 million to support the launch of PLTW’s "Pathway to Engineering" high school program and "Gateway to Technology" middle school program in more than 50 new schools nationwide over the next three years. The participating Miami-area schools include American High School, Lawton Chiles Middle School, Booker T. Washington High School and Jose de Diego Middle School. PLTW’s hands-on, project-based curriculum shows students how what they are learning in math and science class applies to real-world problems. The courses emphasize critical thinking, creativity and innovation, while providing students with a foundation and a proven pathway to college and career success in STEM-related fields. Teachers play a critical role in the success of PLTW students. This summer, teachers from the Miami-Dade schools will participate in an intense two-week summer training program at one of PLTW’s 35 postsecondary partners to prepare them for the classroom. "Businesses are looking to hire employees who have the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are necessary for today’s high-tech global economy," said John Lock, CEO of Project Lead The Way. "Thanks to Cargill’s generous grant, more students in the Miami-Dade area will be exposed to hands-on, project-based learning opportunities that emphasize creativity and innovation. We are excited about expanding PLTW’s reach to more schools in the Miami-Dade area and thank Cargill for partnering with us to prepare students to become the most productive and innovative in the world." "At Cargill, we recognize our continued success depends on the growth and health of our communities. We are excited to be involved in bringing Project Lead The Way to Miami-Dade middle and high school students. Children today are facing many barriers to education attainment. This curriculum opens up new opportunities for students that they might not have considered and helps create a path to college and a future career success," said Chelsie Taveras, international commercial operations manager, Cargill Corn Milling and a lead member of the local Cargill Cares Council, a voluntary, employee-led community engagement council. About Cargill Community Giving Cargill gives back to communities by contributing 2 percent of its global consolidated pre-tax earnings (based on a three-year trailing average). Cargill donated $58.2 million in 50 countries during its 2009 fiscal year. Cargill provides support to organizations, projects and programs that fall in three focus areas: nutrition and health; education; and environmental stewardship. About Cargill Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 159,000 people in 68 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit www.cargill.com. About Project Lead The Way (PLTW) PLTW is a national, non-profit organization that provides rigorous and innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for middle schools and high schools. The PLTW comprehensive curriculum, which is collaboratively developed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators, emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and real-world problem solving. The hands-on, project-based program engages students on multiple levels, exposes them to areas of study that they typically do not pursue, and provides them with a foundation and proven path to college and career success in STEM-related fields. PLTW began in 1998 in 12 high schools in upstate New York as a program designed to address the shortage of engineering students at the college level and has grown to a network of almost 3,400 middle and high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 300,000 students are enrolled in PLTW courses. For more information, visit www.pltw.org. ##