INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Lockheed Martin and Project Lead The Way (PLTW) today announced $250,000 in grant support for the implementation of PLTW’s Cybersecurity course, which engages students in grades 9-12 in real-world activities aligned with careers in the growing field of cybersecurity. Schools near Lockheed Martin facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia may apply through PLTW’s website.
These grants will increase access to hands-on computer science learning experiences for hundreds of high school students in the 2021-22 school year and will support Cybersecurity implementation with one additional PLTW Computer Science course of each school’s choosing. “For more than a decade, Lockheed Martin has helped PLTW unlock the potential of millions of students all across America,” said PLTW President and CEO Dr. Vince Bertram. “Lockheed Martin’s continued generosity and support has helped bring PLTW Programs, including Computer Science and Cybersecurity, to life by building a strong foundation for students to succeed in college, career, and beyond.”
“Learning how to protect networks and data within an ethical framework is critical to the future of work and national security,” said Matthew Swibel, Lockheed Martin Vice President. “Our partnership with PLTW expands opportunity for more students to attain cybersecurity knowledge and see meaningful connections between the classroom and workplace.”
Cybersecurity allows students to establish an ethical code of conduct while learning to defend data in today’s complex cyberworld. This course introduces the tools and concepts of cybersecurity and encourages students to create solutions that allow people to share computing resources while protecting privacy. It also raises students’ knowledge of and commitment to ethical computing behavior and aims to develop students’ skills as consumers, friends, citizens, and employees who can effectively contribute to communities with a dependable cybersecurity infrastructure that moves and processes information safely.
Since 2007, Lockheed Martin has partnered with PLTW to address the nation’s critical need for future engineers, computer scientists, and math- and science-trained professionals, and to equip all students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive.
PLTW is a national nonprofit organization that provides transformative learning experiences for PreK-12 students and teachers through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science and teacher professional development. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and shifts in where learning takes place across the country, PLTW developed distance learning supports – a full suite of resources created by PLTW that schools can utilize to enhance their distance learning needs.
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About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 110,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com.
About PLTW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a mission-driven organization that is transforming the learning experience for millions of PreK-12 students and thousands of teachers across the U.S. PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. Approximately 12,200 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs. For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit pltw.org.