INDIANAPOLIS (October 9, 2013) – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) is the newest affiliate partner for Project Lead The Way (PLTW). ERAU joins 50 other colleges, universities, and research institutions providing support for PLTW and its network of over 5,200 schools in the United States. As an affiliate partner, ERAU will work with PLTW to support and grow middle school and high school STEM programs in Florida.
“Project Lead The Way is pleased to partner with such a highly regarded university as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical,” said PLTW President and CEO Dr. Vince Bertram. “STEM education has never been more crucial for our country, and ERAU is exactly the kind of university partner we need to help us prepare students for the global economy.”
ERAU is the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace. The university offers more than 40 bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degree programs through its Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The university is a major research center and frequently works on projects in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities, and government agencies.
“We are delighted to be Project Lead The Way’s affiliate university in Florida,” said Maj Mirmirani, Ph.D., dean and professor of the College of Engineering. “This is a perfect match, as the majority of Embry-Riddle’s programs are STEM related, and Project Lead The Way is the premier organization for providing STEM education to middle and high school students. We are excited about working with PLTW to promote interest in STEM education and to help ignite passion for aerospace and aviation among Florida’s next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.”
Though this will be ERAU’s first year as an affiliate partner with PLTW, the university has a long history of supporting K-12 STEM programs. Embry-Riddle’s dual enrollment STEM courses taught at high schools allow students to earn up to 24 hours of college credit. ERAU also offers on-campus STEM summer camps, conferences for educators, scholarships, and innovative programs such as the Teachers in Space workshops in partnership with the Space Frontier Foundation.
Affiliate universities and partners are an integral part of the PLTW experience. They host PLTW professional development training programs, which are required for each course a PLTW teacher instructs. Affiliates also host annual conferences for school administrators and counselors, as well as provide ongoing support to PLTW schools.
About PLTW Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is the nation’s leading provider of STEM programs. PLTW’s world-class, activity-, project-, and problem-based curriculum and high-quality teacher professional development model, combined with an engaged network of educators and corporate partners, help students develop the skills needed to succeed in our global economy. More than 5,200 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are currently offering PLTW courses to their students. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.
About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.