Project Lead the Way: Overview
MISSION
Project Lead The Way’s mission is to prepare students for the global economy. PLTW accomplishes this through world-class curriculum, high-quality professional development, and an engaged network.
OVERVIEW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is the leading provider of rigorous and innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education curricular programs used in schools. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, PLTW exists to prepare students for the global economy through its world-class curriculum, high-quality professional development, and an engaged network of educators, students, universities, and professionals. PLTW’s comprehensive curriculum has been designed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators to promote critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and real-world problem solving skills in students. 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.
HISTORY & IMPACT
PLTW launched in 1997 in 12 high schools in upstate New York as a program designed to address the shortage of engineering students at the college level. The non-profit organization has experienced steady growth over the years. In the 2012-13 school year, more than 4,700 middle and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs.
RESULTS
• PLTW alumni are studying engineering and technology at five to 10 times the average rate of all students.
• PLTW students have a higher retention rate in college engineering, science, and related programs than other students in those areas.
• 97% of PLTW seniors intend to pursue a four-year degree or higher, whereas the national average is 67%.
• 80% of PLTW seniors say they will study engineering, technology, or computer science in college, whereas the national average is 32%.
• PLTW students achieve significantly higher scores in reading, mathematics, and science than Career and Technical Education (CTE) students in the same schools in similar CTE fields.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW :THE PLTW NETWORK
PLTW teachers and school counselors are able to access a nationwide support network comprised of PLTW’s national staff, master teachers, university affiliates, corporate and philanthropic sponsors, and state leaders (education professionals employed by state Departments of Education). PLTW has approximately 51 affiliate colleges and university partners that offer students college-level recognition, such as college credit, admissions preference, and scholarships, for completing certain PLTW courses in high school. These universities also provide PLTW’s intensive Core Training professional development program during the summer that teachers are required to complete before teaching a PLTW course. PLTW’s corporate and foundation partners and STEM associations and organizations offer materials, mentorships, technology, equipment, grants, as well as internships that allow students to see firsthand how their classroom learning applies to the real world.
CURRICULUM & APPROACH
PLTW’s activities-, project-, and problem-based (APPB) learning approach centers on hands-on, real-world projects that help students understand how the information and skills they are learning in the classroom may be applied in everyday life. PLTW’s programs are comprehensive and turnkey. The curriculum is standards-based, aligned with both Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, and yet flexible and customizable so that schools and school districts can meet their curricular needs. PLTW offers three different programs:
Gateway To Technology:
Gateway To Technology (GTT) is intended for grades six through eight and is offered as independent, nine-week units that explore aerospace, energy, the environment, modeling, robotics, technology and other STEM-related topics. The activities-oriented curriculum challenges and engages the natural curiosity of students. GTT units, taught in conjunction with a rigorous academic curriculum, are designed to spark an interest in STEM subjects and prepare students for further study in high school. GTT is a natural lead in to PLTW’s Pathway To Engineering and Biomedical Sciences Programs.
Pathway To Engineering:
Pathway To Engineering (PTE) is intended for grades nine through 12. PTE explores the design process and links STEM principles to relevant problem-solving activities. Courses complement traditional mathematics and science courses and can serve as the foundation for STEM-centered or specialized academies. PTE is designed to prepare students to pursue a post-secondary education and careers in STEM-related fields
Biomedical Sciences Program:
The Biomedical Sciences Program (BMS) is intended for grades nine through 12 and explores human medicine, bioinformatics, cell biology, genetics, disease, and other biomedical topics through relevant problem-solving activities. BMS courses complement traditional science courses and can serve as the foundation for STEM-centered or specialized academies. BMS is designed to prepare students to pursue a post-secondary education and careers in the biomedical sciences.
MISSION
Project Lead The Way’s mission is to prepare students for the global economy. PLTW accomplishes this through world-class curriculum, high-quality professional development, and an engaged network.
OVERVIEW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is the leading provider of rigorous and innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education curricular programs used in schools. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, PLTW exists to prepare students for the global economy through its world-class curriculum, high-quality professional development, and an engaged network of educators, students, universities, and professionals. PLTW’s comprehensive curriculum has been designed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators to promote critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and real-world problem solving skills in students. 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.
HISTORY & IMPACT
PLTW launched in 1997 in 12 high schools in upstate New York as a program designed to address the shortage of engineering students at the college level. The non-profit organization has experienced steady growth over the years. In the 2012-13 school year, more than 4,700 middle and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs.
RESULTS
• PLTW alumni are studying engineering and technology at five to 10 times the average rate of all students.
• PLTW students have a higher retention rate in college engineering, science, and related programs than other students in those areas.
• 97% of PLTW seniors intend to pursue a four-year degree or higher, whereas the national average is 67%.
• 80% of PLTW seniors say they will study engineering, technology, or computer science in college, whereas the national average is 32%.
• PLTW students achieve significantly higher scores in reading, mathematics, and science than Career and Technical Education (CTE) students in the same schools in similar CTE fields.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW :THE PLTW NETWORK
PLTW teachers and school counselors are able to access a nationwide support network comprised of PLTW’s national staff, master teachers, university affiliates, corporate and philanthropic sponsors, and state leaders (education professionals employed by state Departments of Education). PLTW has approximately 51 affiliate colleges and university partners that offer students college-level recognition, such as college credit, admissions preference, and scholarships, for completing certain PLTW courses in high school. These universities also provide PLTW’s intensive Core Training professional development program during the summer that teachers are required to complete before teaching a PLTW course. PLTW’s corporate and foundation partners and STEM associations and organizations offer materials, mentorships, technology, equipment, grants, as well as internships that allow students to see firsthand how their classroom learning applies to the real world.
CURRICULUM & APPROACH
PLTW’s activities-, project-, and problem-based (APPB) learning approach centers on hands-on, real-world projects that help students understand how the information and skills they are learning in the classroom may be applied in everyday life. PLTW’s programs are comprehensive and turnkey. The curriculum is standards-based, aligned with both Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, and yet flexible and customizable so that schools and school districts can meet their curricular needs. PLTW offers three different programs:
Gateway To Technology:
Gateway To Technology (GTT) is intended for grades six through eight and is offered as independent, nine-week units that explore aerospace, energy, the environment, modeling, robotics, technology and other STEM-related topics. The activities-oriented curriculum challenges and engages the natural curiosity of students. GTT units, taught in conjunction with a rigorous academic curriculum, are designed to spark an interest in STEM subjects and prepare students for further study in high school. GTT is a natural lead in to PLTW’s Pathway To Engineering and Biomedical Sciences Programs.
Pathway To Engineering:
Pathway To Engineering (PTE) is intended for grades nine through 12. PTE explores the design process and links STEM principles to relevant problem-solving activities. Courses complement traditional mathematics and science courses and can serve as the foundation for STEM-centered or specialized academies. PTE is designed to prepare students to pursue a post-secondary education and careers in STEM-related fields
Biomedical Sciences Program:
The Biomedical Sciences Program (BMS) is intended for grades nine through 12 and explores human medicine, bioinformatics, cell biology, genetics, disease, and other biomedical topics through relevant problem-solving activities. BMS courses complement traditional science courses and can serve as the foundation for STEM-centered or specialized academies. BMS is designed to prepare students to pursue a post-secondary education and careers in the biomedical sciences.