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544 Education Foundation tops $100,000

Congratulations to the 544 Education Foundation for going over the $100,000 award milestone with its Spring Awards. The Foundation’s board and Director Mindy Fuder have done an outstanding job of providing our district with enhancements ranging from technology to field trips. The students are the winners in our District because of the support of our community and organizations such as the Foundation.

Leading the Way

Project Lead the Way grew by 44 percent in 2009 thanks to enthusiastic students and parents, dedicated teachers and administrators, and financial support from school boards, industry and the state. An innovative middle and high school curriculum that blends science, technology, engineering and math, PLTW is now available in 161 Minnesota schools.

This is the first year the program has been offered at Fergus Falls High School. Currently, we have one Introduction to Engineering course taught by Mike Donaghue, and we plan to advance the program each year.

In 2009, PLTW enrolled 33,502 Minnesota middle and high school students. That was up substantially from 23,307 students in 2008 and 17,323 students in 2007. Business and state education leaders hope to continue this expansion during 2010, as enrollment since the program’s start in 1999 has steadily increased due to the collaborative efforts of schools, public and private organizations and the business community.

Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development has fueled program growth by endorsing Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant funding in support of PLTW school initiatives. The Minnesota Department of Education also provided competitive STEM grants, some of which funded PLTW in several high schools. Through partnerships formed with PLTW schools, private foundations, businesses and industries across the state have supported Minnesota schools to ensure the PLTW curriculum reaches more students each year.

Other vital PLTW partners include the University of Minnesota, which leads the PLTW state leadership team, provides professional development training to PLTW teachers, and offers college credit for high-achieving PLTW students. St. Cloud State University provides PLTW training in its undergraduate teacher certification, in addition to offering college credit for PLTW students. Centers of Excellence at Minnesota State University Mankato and Bemidji State University provide regional leadership for PLTW schools, teachers and students with essential connections to local workforce development and business initiatives. Many two- and four-year campuses within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System are creating opportunities for high school students to earn college credit through PLTW courses.

Experience in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is important to students as they enter college and the workforce. With more than half of the engineers and scientists in the United States nearing retirement, technical industries are in desperate need of workers to fill the positions responsible for innovation and economic growth. According to U.S. government data, job openings requiring expertise in STEM will increase by 18.3 percent through 2014.

Project addresses worker shortage

PLTW was created in response to the expected 15 million engineer and technical worker shortage (according to U.S. government estimates) in the U.S. by the year 2015. PLTW helps students apply academic engineering and technology concepts in compelling, real-world ways. The program has established partnerships with schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

General information about PLTW can be found at HYPERLINK “http://www.pltw.org” www.pltw.org, while state-specific information is located at HYPERLINK “http://www.MNPLTW.org” www.MNPLTW.org. At these Web sites, school leaders interested in initiating PLTW at their schools may learn more about the program. For more information, contact Program Director Jim Mecklenburg at 320-493-5229.