INDIANAPOLIS (April 28, 2015)– Project Lead The Way (PLTW) has awarded grants to 45 Atlanta-area elementary and middle schools to implement PLTW’s hands-on, project-based science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs in 2015-16. The grant is possible thanks to the generosity of The Goizueta Foundation, which committed $1 million to PLTW to expand STEM education in a 10-county Atlanta area.
In December, PLTW announced a grant competition for the funds. Schools eligible to apply for grant funding included public and charter elementary and middle schools in the Atlanta-area counties of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglass, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale. PLTW selected 31 elementary schools and 14 middle schools from Atlanta Public Schools, Cobb County School District, Douglas County School District, Fayette County Public Schools, Fulton County Schools, and Rockdale County Public Schools. PLTW will host another grant competition in Fall 2015 to allocate remaining funding and support additional PLTW implementations.
Each grant is for two years and will assist in covering costs associated with starting and sustaining the PLTW Launch (elementary) and PLTW Gateway (middle school) programs, including annual program participation fees, teacher professional development, and classroom equipment and supplies.
K-12 education is a key area of support for the Atlanta-based foundation. Through its giving, The Goizueta Foundation supports educational programs that promote sustainable change and have a long-term impact in the community.
"Through this partnership with Project Lead The Way, we hope to expand the impact of Metro Atlanta schools by increasing their capacity to deliver high-quality, hands-on programming that is often a significant contributor to many students’ academic successes,” said Olga Goizueta Rawls, chair and CEO of The Goizueta Foundation. “We believe that PLTW’s innovative and research-based strategies will give more students and teachers throughout our local communities the opportunity to become fully engaged in and benefit from STEM education.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that, by 2018, STEM-related jobs in the U.S. will grow by 17 percent, nearly double the rate of jobs in non-STEM fields. The growth will lead to 211,000 new STEM jobs in Georgia. In Georgia currently, unemployment in STEM fields is only 3 percent, versus 8 percent unemployment for other careers. In non-STEM fields, there are an estimated 4.5 jobseekers for every job posting, but in STEM fields, two STEM jobs for every person who is unemployed.
“The support from The Goizueta Foundation will pay dividends for generations,” said Dr. Rex Bolinger, PLTW senior vice president and chief development officer. “Numerous studies highlight the importance of introducing students to STEM subjects early in their education before they get discouraged or turned off by math and science. It’s too late to wait until high school to give students opportunities in the sciences, technology, or engineering. The students affected by The Goizueta Foundation’s generosity will go on to become our country’s next STEM leaders and innovators.
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the nation’s leading provider of K-12 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 are currently offering PLTW courses to their students. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.
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Media Contacts: Project Lead The Way
Jennifer Cahill
jcahill@pltw.org or (317) 669-0871