For Immediate Release
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 11, 2015) – The Iowa Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Advisory Council has chosen four new STEM education programs to serve thousands of students across Iowa in 2015-16, and two of the four new programs are offered by Project Lead The Way (PLTW). PLTW Launch and PLTW Computer Science join PLTW Gateway and PLTW Engineering as four of the 14 total programs the state has endorsed for widespread implementation through the STEM Scale-Up initiative.
This year, the Governor’s STEM Council partnered with national organization Change The Equation to select programs that meet the organization’s “rigorous principles for effectiveness.”
“Project Lead The Way is honored that the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council selected two more PLTW programs for statewide implementation, and we commend Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds for their commitment to STEM education for Iowa students,” said PLTW President and CEO Dr. Vince Bertram. “Access to high-quality STEM education is absolutely critical to solving America’s workforce challenges. PLTW is proud to partner with the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council to provide PLTW’s world-class, activity-, project-, and problem-based curriculum to Iowa’s students.”
According to the Governor’s Council, several thousand educators have implemented Scale-Up programs in the last three years. Almost all of Iowa’s 348 school districts take part, reaching more than 100,000 youth each year. Results from the 2013-2014 Iowa STEM evaluation report show nearly 90 percent of students who participated in a Scale-Up program reported higher interest in at least one STEM subject or career, with nearly 75 percent of past Scale-Up teachers continuing their program after the STEM Council’s financial support ends.
Since the Scale-Up initiative began in 2013-14, 66 middle schools and 24 high schools have used Scale-Up funding to offer PLTW Gateway and PLTW Engineering programs.
The first PLTW program in Iowa began in 2005. Today, nearly 300 schools offer at least one of PLTW’s five programs of study – PLTW Launch for students in kindergarten through fifth grade; PLTW Gateway for students in grades six through eight; and PLTW Engineering, PLTW Biomedical Science, or PLTW Computer Science for high school students.
Teachers in grades K-12 can apply for STEM Scale-Up funding to implement a PLTW program in the 2015-16 school year at http://www.iowastem.gov/2015-16Scale-Up. The application window closes on Monday, March 9, and the Council will announce recipients by the end of March. For PLTW program information in Iowa, contact Kim Glenn, PLTW director of school engagement, at kglenn@pltw.org.
About PLTW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the nation’s leading provider of K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math (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 6,500 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia currently offer PLTW courses to their students. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.
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