For Immediate Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Ten Indiana high schools will begin the 2015-16 school year with access to a new Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Biomedical Science program, thanks to a generous grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. The Endowment’s support – in the amount of $490,000 – marks the first-ever grant supporting PLTW Biomedical Science programs in the state of Indiana.
PLTW is an Indianapolis-based national nonprofit serving more than 6,500 K-12 schools across the United States by providing integrated project-based science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curricula and teacher training. The PLTW Biomedical Science program is a four-course sequence for students in grades 9-12. Throughout the program, students study and investigate concepts of human medicine, physiology, genetics, microbiology, and public health, and explore a range of careers in biomedical sciences as they learn content in the context of real-world, hands-on activities, projects, and problems.
“We are incredibly grateful to Lilly Endowment for its leadership and generosity in providing Indiana’s students with the highest-quality educational experiences,” said PLTW President and CEO, Dr. Vince Bertram. “Through its support, the Endowment continues to be a leader in ensuring that Indiana is prepared to meet the healthcare challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”
Students with the knowledge and interest to pursue careers in the health sciences are in high-demand in Indiana. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development projects that employment in health-related fields will grow by more than 20 percent between now and 2022.
Each of the 10 schools will receive a grant of $35,000, distributed over three years, to fund teacher professional development, program participation fees, and other program equipment and supplies related to the implementation of the PLTW Biomedical Science program. The schools are:
These 10 new schools are in addition to four schools that started the PLTW Biomedical Science program in the 2014-15 school year thanks to this grant from the Endowment: Crown Point High School, Maconaquah High School (Bunker Hill), Marion High School, and Knox Community High School.
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.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly and his two sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., with gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical company. In keeping with the founders' wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. More information can be found at www.lillyendowment.org.
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Media Contact:
Jennifer Cahill
(317) 669-0871
jcahill@pltw.org