Funds to Benefit 250 Schools That Will Implement an Innovative Summer Youth Program Designed to Engage Hearts and Minds of Middle School Students through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education
Clifton Park, NY -- Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation's leading provider of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, announced today that it has been awarded with an $815,000 grant from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation (SME-EF). The funds will be used to implement the innovative "Gateway Academy" summer program at 250 schools and to upgrade the equipment used in the PLTW Computer Integrated Manufacturing class in 50 high schools. Gateway Academy is a day camp summertime program designed to ignite the imagination of middle school students through hands-on, project based STEM learning activities. PLTW and SME-EF partner to offer the Gateway Academy summer program in schools throughout the country.
"Summer camps are an effective way to pique the interest of young students in STEM," said John Lock, CEO of Project Lead The Way. "With these generous funds from SME-EF, we will create 'Innovation Zones' throughout America, where students have an opportunity to solve real-world problems and explore their curiosity about how things work in the world. The goal of the Gateway Academies is to get students hooked on innovation at a young age. The younger they get hooked, the more likely they will stick with it during high school and college, which will help prepare them for success in today's 21st century global economy."
Gateway Academy's approach draws on students' innate curiosity for the way things work. The camp is designed to engage girls and boys from every background in discovering and following their interest in STEM-related fields -- igniting imagination and innovation through learning. The program emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills and is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of STEM. Certified PLTW instructors provide instruction in small group settings and students work together in a fun, exciting environment using leading-edge technologies to sample such disciplines as robotics, aeronautics, rockets, eco-design and manufacturing, and alternative energy.
"The PLTW Computer Integrated Manufacturing course offers SME-EF the opportunity to strategically establish manufacturing education centers at high schools around the country," said Bart Aslin, Director of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation. "This model will engage industry partners, along with SME Chapters/members, and allow for students and teachers to receive mentorship from manufacturing professionals."
The 250 schools that will launch Gateway Academy summer programs this summer are located in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Please contact Lisa Cohen at 310-395-2544 for a list of schools in your area and visit http://beta.pltw.org/students/gateway-academy to learn more about the program.
About the SME Education Foundation (SME-EF)
The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, supporting and preparing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists in the advancement of manufacturing education. Created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979, the SME Education Foundation has provided more than $29 million since 1980 in grants, scholarships and awards through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations, and individual donors. Visit the SME Education Foundation at www.smeef.org and award-winning website, Manufacturing is Cool!
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.
Posted Apr. 26, 2010
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