Building Success for Latino Students with Project Lead the Way (PLTW)
Building Success for Latino Students with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) will be held at Ridgewater College-Willmar Campus in the Outreach Room, Building F, Second Floor on Thursday, May 19, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Park in Lot C-East. There is no cost to registered participants.
See the Building Success for Latino Students with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) flyer.
The purpose of this session is:
o To identify barriers and challenges faced by Latino students to enter STEM career fields
o To show the support systems available to schools today.
o To give school staff interested in PLTW the information necessary to make an informed decision if PLTW is right for their students, how to fund and how to connect with a support network.
o To give new administrators, school board members, business partners, legislators, and others an understanding of the benefits of PLTW in Minnesota and where PLTW is at.
o Recognize and sustain quality PLTW programs in MN
Lunch will be served. Costs for lunch/refreshments are supported through the Minnesota Center For Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence (MNCEME) www.mnceme.org
For more information, contact Jim Mecklenburg at james.mecklenburg@mnsu.edu or 320-493-5229.
MSU effort provides a taste of science and engineering to Latino students
MANKATO — A few hundred Latino high school students from around the state came to Minnesota State University Monday to get a taste of science and engineering, and to see if pursuing a career in either would suit their desires.
If a few of them pursue science, the conference will have been worth it. But for the Latino students, the battle just to get to college, much less excel in science or engineering, is one that begins well before a student steps onto a college campus for freshman year.
“A lot of Latino students drop out in high school,” said Guadalupe Quintero, director of Latino Affairs at MSU.
Monday’s conference, called Latino Engineering and Academic Day, gave them access to positive role models, MSU engineering students and faculty, and advice on how best to make sure they can get into college.
From The Free Press, Mankato, MN, February 28, 2011 by Robb Murray, Free Press Staff Writer. For the complete story, see Tuesday’s print edition or e-edition.
*****
From Editorial, The Free Press, Mankato, MN, March 4, 2011.
To Minnesota State University for hosting Latino Engineering and Academic Day this week. The event was put on by the Minnesota Center for Excellence in Manufacturing and MSU’s Latino Affairs Office. The focus of the day was to provide Latino high school students from southern Minnesota with a glimpse of science and engineering, as well as offer advice on how to get into college.
The importance of reaching those students is evident when considering the high school graduation rate for Latinos, which is about 48 percent. Of that number, only a portion go on to college. Nationally, of the estimated nearly 50 million Hispanics in the U.S., only about 13 percent have a college degree.
For many Latino families, the idea to forgo college for the sake of the family is culturally acceptable. This week’s workshop even addressed how to educate parents about how higher education can be financially manageable with the help of aid, grants and scholarships.
Encouraging Latino students to pursue higher education makes sense for their future and for the future of our area communities.
Summer Science and Engineering Camps Available at College Campuses Across Minnesota
It is time to start thinking about summer camp 2011. Several are available for Junior and Senior High school students this summer. There are many engineering camps available on college campuses across Minnesota. Camps are being offered by Alexandria Technical College, Anoka Technical College, Itasca Community College, Mesabi Range College, Minnesota State University Mankato, Normandale Community College, St Paul College, South Central College-North Mankato Campus, and South Central College-Faribault Campus.
Engineering and Manufacturing Summer Camp at Alexandria Technical College
The camp includes engineering hands on experience, manufacturing shop hands on experience and tours of industry. This camp is limited to students from District 206-Alexandria with completed PLTW courses in 8th grade. 4 sessions.
Mon-Thu, Jun 13 – 16, 8 AM – 3 PM Alexandria Technical College
Camp Build My Future at Anoka Technical College
The camp includes hands on college level activities and exposure to multiple technical career paths.
For more information, contact Sarah Patnode at 763-576-4775 or e-mail spatnode@anokatech.edu. Ages: 11 – 13.
Mon-Fri, Jul 13 – 22, 9 AM – 2 PM Anoka Technical College
ICC Senior High Summer Engineering Camp
This 6-day residential camp fee includes: meals, lodging, project supplies, and outings.
Activities encompass: problem solving & team building challenges, hands-on design projects (computer applications, radio control and robotic interfacing, structural design challenges, 3-D modeling & graphics, alternative energy work, and the list goes on ……), guest speakers and industry tours, sports and recreational outings.
For more information, contact Kim Damiani at 218-322-2370 or e-mail Kimberly.damiani@itascacc.edu. Scholarships are available. Cost: $350. Grades: 10 – 12.
Mon-Sat, Jul 11 – 16 Itasca Community College
ICC Junior High Summer Engineering Camp
This 4-day residential camp fee includes: meals, lodging, project supplies, and outings. Activities encompass: problem solving & team building challenges, pulleys, levers, electricity, cool gadgets, robotic programming challenges.
For more information, contact Kim Damiani at 218-322-2370 or e-mail Kimberly.damiani@itascacc.edu. Scholarships are available. Cost: $285. Grades: 7 – 9.
Wed-Sat, Jul 20 – 23 Itasca Community College
Mesabi Range College STEM Camp 2011
The camp includes fun, hands-on learning in the area of Natural Disasters: The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math behind predicting, preparing, preventing and responding.
For more information, contact Lisa Kvas at 218-744-7587 or e-mail l.kvas@mr.mnscu.edu.
Mon-Fri, Jul 11 – 15, day camp Mesabi Range College
ZAP Camp Physics at Minnesota State University
Learn about physics in fun, hands-on way. Spend two mornings at Minnesota State Mankato doing physics experiments. Specific camp instructions will be mailed to campers prior to camp. For more information about ZAP CAMP, contact Judi Evans at 507-389-2110 or email Judith.evans@mnsu.edu. Scholarships are available.
COURSE #: 5350. Cost $20. Registration deadline is June 10, 2011 and must be done through www.mankatocer.com.
Tue & Wed, Jun 21 – 22, 9AM – 12 PM Minnesota State University Mankato
ZAP Camp Engineering at Minnesota State University
Experience engineering by building a bridge and solving an oil spill disaster. Learn even more about engineering on Minnesota State Mankato’s ropes course. Specific camp instructions will be mailed to campers prior to camp. For more information about ZAP CAMP, contact Judi Evans at 507-389-2110 or email Judith.evans@mnsu.edu. Scholarships are available. Deadline to register: Friday, July 8. Completed grades 6-8. 3 sessions
COURSE #: 5351. Cost $60. Registration deadline is July 8, 2011 and must be done through www.mankatocer.com.
Tue-Thu, Jul 19 – 21, 9 AM – 4 PM Minnesota State University Mankato
ZAP Camp Robotics at Minnesota State University
Learn about robots in fun, hands-on way by building one. Spend two days at Minnesota State Mankato building a robot. Specific camp instructions will be mailed to campers prior to camp. For more information about ZAP CAMP, contact Judi Evans at 507-389-2110 or email Judith.evans@mnsu.edu. Scholarships are available. Limited to 20 students. Completed grades 6-8. 2 sessions
Cost $40. Registration deadline is July 22, 2011 and must be done through www.mankatocer.com.
Tue & Wed, Aug 9 -10, 9AM - 3:30 PM Minnesota State University Mankato
Engineering is Math and Science and Creativity Too! STEM Camps for Middle-school Girls
The camp includes project work to include creating a simple desktop model of a hovercraft.
For more information, contact Nancy Louwagie at 952-358-8738 or e-mail nancy.louwagie@normandale.edu.
Mon-Fri, Jul 11 – 15, day camp Normandale Community College
Mon-Fri, Aug 1 – 5, day camp St Paul College
ZAP Camp at South Central College-North Mankato Campus
South Central College is offering a summer science, technology, engineering, and math camp (STEM) to children, ages 11-15. The camp will focus on project-based, hands-on experiences in fields such as Mechatronics, global information systems, and micro biology. There will also be a social and physical recreation component. Camp concludes with campers presenting their projects to their family and friends at celebratory picnic on campus. All snacks, lunch, and project materials are provided. Enrollment is limited to 50. Some scholarships are available. More information will be mailed to registered campers prior to the camp week. Ages: 11-15, 5 sessions.
COURSE #: 5352 $135. Registration deadline is July 8, 2011 and must be done through www.mankatocer.com.
Mon- Fri, Jul 18 – 22, 9 AM- 3:15 PM South Central College-North Mankato Campus
ZAP Camp at South Central College-Faribault Campus
South Central College is offering a summer science, technology, engineering, and math camp (STEM) to children, ages 11-15. The camp will focus on project-based, hands-on experiences in fields such as Mechatronics, global information systems, and Energy and Construction technology. There will also be a social and physical recreation component. Camp concludes with campers presenting their projects to their family and friends at celebratory picnic on campus. All snacks, lunch, and project materials are provided. Enrollment is limited to 24. Some scholarships are available. More information will be mailed to registered campers prior to the camp week.
For more information, contact Nicole Tacheny at 507-389-7427 or e-mail Nicole.tacheny@southcentral.edu. Cost is $75. Ages: 11-15, 3 sessions.
Registration deadline is June 30, 2011
Tue- Thu, Jul 12 – 14, 9 AM- 3:15 PM South Central College-Faribault Campus
Project Lead The Way Announces More Than $577,900 in Grants for STEM Education in Minnesota Schools
Clifton Park, NY – Project Lead The Way (PLTW) announced today that students at fourteen Minnesota schools now have access to the nation’s leading science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education program through grants totaling $577,958. Middle schools and high schools were able to apply for funds through PLTW’s STEM Implementation Fund (PSIF) which requires schools to prove their commitment to preparing students for the jobs of the 21st century. PLTW partners with leading U.S. industries, professional associations, private and family foundations, and other philanthropic organizations to provide funding to schools through the PSIF. Minnesota schools will begin offering PLTW’s STEM education courses, including Gateway To Technology and Pathway To Engineering, beginning in Fall 2011.
“The economic prosperity of our communities and our nation depend on our ability to prepare today’s students for the high-tech, high-skill jobs of the 21stcentury,” said Thor S. Misko, interim CEO of Project Lead The Way. “We are grateful for the generosity of our partners from the industry and the philanthropic community who’ve made this grant process possible. We were extremely pleased to receive so many quality grant applications from Minnesota schools and look forward to partnering with them to prepare our nation’s next generation of innovators.”
PLTW provides students with a proven path to college and career success in STEM fields. The hands-on, project-based curriculum shows students how what they are learning in math and science class applies to real-world challenges. Each course emphasizes problem-solving, critical thinking and teamwork – all skills that are in-demand from U.S. businesses and necessary in the 21st century high-tech economy. Studies have shown that PTLW students outperform their peers and are more likely to continue studying STEM-related subjects in college.
Among other things, PSIF grant applicants are required to show that they have visited at least one additional PLTW school; submitted a complete PLTW program budget; coordinated and provided a list of potential community partners; and have or are in the process of developing a computer lab that meets PLTW requirements. Schools use grant funds for teacher training and equipment and supplies for PLTW courses.
There are currently 185 PLTW schools in Minnesota. Schools receiving new funds for the 2011-2012 school year include:
- Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative
- Henry Sibley High School
- Kimball Area High School
- Kingsland Public Schools
- La Crescent Montessori Academy
- Lewiston-Altura High School
- Menahga Public Schools
- Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf
- Minnetonka High School
- Orono High School
- Osakis High School
- Royalton High School
- Valley Middle School
- Waconia High School & Clearwater Middle School
For more information on PLTW’s STEM education program, visit www.pltw.org.
About PLTW
Project Lead The Way, Inc., is a national, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is the leading provider of rigorous and innovative STEM education curricular programs used in K-12 schools. The PLTW comprehensive curriculum, which is collaboratively developed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators, emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, innovation and real-world problem solving. The hands-on, project-based program engages students on multiple levels, exposes them to areas of study that they typically do not pursue, and provides them with a foundation and proven path to college and career success. PLTW began in 1997 in 12 high schools in upstate New York as a program designed to address the shortage of engineering students at the college level and has grown to a network of nearly 4,000 middle and high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 350,000 students are expected to take a PLTW course during the coming school year. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.
National Study Identifies Range of Opportunities to Improve Engineering Education
| Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education University of Washington Box 352183 Seattle WA 98195-2180 www.engr.washington.edu/caee/ |
Contacts
| Prof. Cynthia J. Atman Director of CAEE, Univ. of Washington Phone: (206) 616-2171 Email: atman@u.washington.edu |
Prof. Sheri Sheppard Mechanical Engineering, Stanford Univ. Phone: (650) 723-4287 Email: sheppard@stanford.edu |
October 7, 2010
NATIONAL STUDY IDENTIFIES RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE ENGINEERING EDUCATIONNew Report Reveals Current Strengths, Shortcomings of Engineering Students’ Academic PathwaysAmerica’s higher education system is widely regarded to be one of the largest and most flexible systems in the world. Despite this advantage, the U.S. is in danger of being outpaced by other countries in producing innovative scientists and engineers. Recent reports by the federal government underscore the challenge faced by the U.S.: science and engineering students need to be better prepared with the motivation, competence, and critical thinking skills required to solve problems and generate technological breakthroughs if the nation is to remain a global economic leader.
Enabling Engineering Student Success, a new report released by the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE) and available for download on their website, addresses this challenge by identifying key opportunities for improving how engineering students are currently being prepared for professional practice. A major component of the report, the recently concluded Academic Pathways Study (APS), involved a broad collaboration of scholars who conducted innovative multi-year studies involving over 5,400 students at more than 20 institutions. The APS research also included over 100 newly hired graduates to round out a detailed picture of the paths engineering students take as they enter, experience, and graduate from undergraduate degree programs.
This collection of both qualitative and quantitative data challenges many assumptions about instruction and learning. For instance, despite formal instruction, engineering students risk falling short of the communication or professional skills demanded of today’s engineers. Even as they approach graduation, students may not fully appreciate the need to engage and collaborate with a wide range of individuals in a globally distributed team. Moreover, some students are not learning how to integrate considerations of the broad context of engineering problems into their design processes.
“A significant number of seniors aren’t firm on wanting to be engineers and don’t always have a complete picture of what engineering work is,” says lead investigator of the APS, Sheri Sheppard, professor at Stanford University. “This is surprising, in part because there’s been a national movement to include project-based learning activities, or activities that more closely resemble real-world problems, in regular coursework. There’s still work to be done in helping students see the connections between their school activities and engineering practice.” She goes on to emphasize the need for more accessible undergraduate programs, “Thinking like an engineer is an incredibly powerful way of processing and organizing ideas that has applications far beyond engineering; how do we get students to see that studying engineering is a good educational investment?”
In addition to the APS, the report details other CAEE research and programs, including faculty decision-making, teaching preparation for future faculty, and expanding capacity for educational research in engineering. Jennifer Turns, lead investigator of the Studies of Engineering Educator Decisions and professor at the University of Washington, notes that the research on faculty decision-making represents an important and novel approach to studying teaching: “A decision represents the point where educator thinking connects with educator action, and the decision-making process represents a context in which educators can apply research findings about students.” Cindy Atman, director of CAEE and professor at the University of Washington, adds that understanding the engineering student experience is not enough: “We need educators who are capable of using the research. Therefore, in addition to our analyses, we included questions in the report that can be asked by engineering educators to evaluate the effectiveness of their own programs or approaches.” The result is a robust discussion of the current direction of engineering education, where improvements might best be made, and how more students might be attracted to and retained in engineering programs.
The CAEE was launched in 2003 with a grant from the National Science Foundation to a collaboration of five schools: the Colorado School of Mines, Howard University, Stanford University, the University of Minnesota, and the lead institution, the University of Washington. By the end of the grant in 2009, the center had grown to involve over 100 researchers and included scholars at Purdue University, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, and Virginia Tech.
The full report, Enabling Engineering Student Success, is available for download from the CAEE website: http://www.engr.washington.edu/caee/. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Cynthia J. Atman, director of CAEE and professor of human centered design and engineering at the University of Washington (atman@u.washington.edu, 206-616-2171) or Sheri Sheppard, professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford University (sheppard@stanford.edu, 650-723-4287).
Increasing Pipeline Topic of ASEE Panel Discussion
Minnesota State University, Mankato Departments of Mechanical and Civil, and Electrical and Computer Engineering hosted the 2010 North Midwest Conference of the American Society for Engineering Educators on October 21-23. Faculty from colleges and universities throughout the upper Midwest attended the two-day conference. Highlights included keynote speaker, Joe Albright, delivering industry’s perspective on the graduating engineer in “Engineering Education: A View from the Receiving End, ” and a luncheon panel discussing outreach programs for K-12 students intended to spark interest in engineering as a career.
Moderator Jon Rippke, President of Bolton & Menk, Inc., began by the discussion sharing his experience trying to recruit Latino engineers. When Rippke learned there were no Latino students from southern Minnesota pursuing civil engineering at Minnesota State Mankato, he contacted Guadalupe Quintero, director of Latino Affairs for help. She suggested a career fair specifically for Latino high school students from southern Minnesota. “We found a great deal of interest,” said Rippke. Called Latino Engineering and Academic Day (LEAD) registrations were stopped at 160 students, but more than 200 students attended. “We expect to see measureable results from these efforts in three or four years,” he commented.
College instructors, Shirley Biel, Normandale Community College, and Bart Johnson, Itasca Community College, as well as Mike Pace, professional engineer, Unimin Corporation, offered unique program information as well as tips for partnering with community groups such as Boy Scouts of America to reach prospective students.
The conference wrapped up Saturday morning with a hands-on workshop preview given by representatives of the ExCEEd Teaching Workshop. The full ExCEEd (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education) course, a week-long program developed and supported by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), provides training for civil engineering faculty throughout the United States. The mission of ExCEEd is to disseminate significant, proven innovations in engineering education practice, especially methods shown to improve student participation and learning.
John Frey Named Interim Executive Director of Minnesota Center for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence
Mankato, Minn. – John Frey has been named interim executive director of the Minnesota Center for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence by Minnesota State University, Mankato President Richard Davenport.
Davenport also transferred responsibility for oversight of the center to Minnesota State Mankato’s Division of Strategic Business, Education & Regional Partnerships, led by Vice President Robert Hoffman.
The center is a consortium of academic institutions, with Minnesota State Mankato as the lead member. It partners with six two-year colleges located throughout Minnesota, and serves as a first-contact resource for industry, providing continuing education, emerging technology and future worker development.
“Strong partnerships between higher education and industry are critical to the continued success of Minnesota manufacturers and service providers,” Davenport said. “Dr. Frey’s 40 years of leadership in partnership-building will ensure that MNCEME continues to strengthen those relationships.”
“And I will be closely involved in further developing relationships with the other MNCEME presidents,” Davenport said.
For the last year Frey has been interim director of the International Renewable Energy Technology Institute of Minnesota, as well as director of business partnerships for Minnesota State Mankato’s Division of Strategic Business, Education & Regional Partnerships.
Before that he served for 37 years as a faculty member and dean of Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Science, Engineering & Technology. He has actively sought and obtained grants, led successful campaigns for state and federal appropriations, and developed millions of dollars worth of contracts and private donations for science, engineering and technology research and education.
Earlier this year Frey and his wife, Anne, created the Anne and John Frey Renewable Energy/Bio Products Research Endowment – one of only a handful of undergraduate sustainable energy research funds in the nation. The endowment provides $3,000 each year to a student who conducts applied, faculty-mentored research in biomass energy.
The Minnesota Center for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence was created in 2005 by the Minnesota Legislature to bring education partners together with industry, to encourage students to pursue engineering and technical occupations, and to help ensure that graduating engineers and technicians are steeped in cutting-edge, “best-practice” skills and knowledge demanded by Minnesota manufacturers.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive, doctoral university with 15,393 students, is part of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system.
Senator Al Franken Visited STEM Day at the State Fair
U.S. Senator Al Franken witnessed first-hand kids engaged in science, technology, engineering, and math at the Minnesota State Fair. The inaugural STEM Day at the Fair held August 26, 2010, was dedicated to getting kids excited about stem-related careers and Franken did his part.
Exhibitors ranged from industry to universities to junior high engineering clubs. Franken visited as many booths as possible, participating alongside the kids in various activities.
Senator Al Franken visits the PLTW booth
MSU Mankato Professor Stephen Druschel-water demonstration
He watched a demonstration by Minnesota State Mankato’s civil engineers and learned that reinforcement materials sandwiched between layers of sand allows it to support significantly more weight than sand alone; he toyed with STARBASE Minnesota’s software that 4th graders use to design their own airplanes; and he picked up a money clip designed and produced with Minnesota technology used by Project Lead the Way students.
Then, following a demonstration by the University of Minnesota’s Physics Force, Franken took a few minutes on stage to address the kids directly. “This is a beautiful exhibit and that was a great demonstration. You can’t beat stuff blowing up. Everybody likes stuff blowing up and that is what you get to do when you study science, technology, engineering and math,” he joked. “You also get to make some really neat things.”
Both Franken and his brother studied math in college.
MSU Mankato Professor Aaron Budge-load demonstration
Although with a note of sympathy to his parents, Franken admitted that neither went on to work in stem careers. “My brother is a photographer and I became a comedian. I am not a very good example,” he laughed.
Nonetheless, he understands the importance of stem-related education. A solid education in science, technology, engineering and math helps a person understand what is happening in the world—from global warming to oil spill cleanup to high blood pressure.
With pride in his voice, Franken shared that his son is working on a graduate degree in engineering. “He is going to manufacture new products that we’ve never heard of,” he told the kids, “and develop green technology that is good for the environment, and create jobs for other engineers.”
Also obviously proud of Minnesota, Franken bragged to the audience about Sage Electrochromics, Inc., a company based in Faribault that makes electronically tintable glass. “They use state-of-the-art technology. They do it better than Europe, better than Asia and it is right here in Minnesota,” said Franken. “And I went to the lunch room there and everyone was from Minnesota and studied engineering and physics in Minnesota.”
Senator Al Franken speaking to the crowd
A member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Franken understands the best way to get kids interested in similar careers is to provide strong stem education early. “Congress is very conscious of the need for more stem education,” he said. “Congress is reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. I know U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan understands the need and when we reauthorize the bill, we will be very focused on that.”
Franken encouraged industry and academia to continue to be politically active. “Find out when the bill will be written up. Make the case to senators and congress members about how important [stem education] is,” he said. “For example it is estimated that within 5 years there will be more than 200,000 jobs in Minnesota that cannot be filled because people don’t have the skills. When I travel the state, trying to get people jobs, I see people over here who need jobs and people over here who need employees, and the gap in the middle is training. And it starts in elementary and middle school.”
Bridge built by MSU Engineering students for State Fair display
And that is no doubt why he aimed most of his comments directly to the young people in the audience. “You are going to achieve such fantastic, amazing things—some of which you haven’t even dreamed of, things your parents never dreamed of. You are going to study science. You are going to learn to work in teams, learn to work creatively, be good critical thinkers, be an asset to your state, country and world,” said Franken. “You are going to make things that will help us prosper, save us from global warming. I don’t mean to put a lot of pressure on you,” he joked, “but I am. But seriously, as a senator, I can’t tell you how excited I am to see this exhibit, to see all you kids here today interested in this. Thanks for what you are going to do in school and thanks for what you are going to do for all the people in the world.”
PLTW Schools Have Strong Showing at FIRST Robotics World Championship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2010
CONTACT: Lisa Cohen, 310-395-2544, lisa@lisacohen.org
PROJECT LEAD THE WAY SCHOOLS HAVE STRONG SHOWING AT NATIONAL FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION
PLTW Students Were Part of the World Champion Team as Students from Three PLTW Pathway to Engineering Schools Work Together in Final Competition; 500 PLTW Schools Participated in the 2010 Competition, More Than Any Other STEM Program in the Country; PLTW CEO Calls for Increase in Support for In-School STEM Programs in America
Clifton Park, NY – Project Lead The Way, the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in-school education programs, announced today that PLTW students from all over the country participated in this year’s 2010 FIRST Robotics Championship, including members of the World Champion team that won the national competition. Of the 1,800 teams participating in the 2010 First Robotics Competition, 500 were from schools that offer PLTW’s rigorous STEM education program. Two of three “World Champion” teams included students from three schools with Project Lead The Way (PLTW) programs, including Redondo Union (CA), Mira Costa (CA), and South Windsor (CT) High Schools.
“We are so proud of the innovative spirit PLTW students and teachers displayed at the FIRST Robotics Competition,” said John Lock, CEO of Project Lead The Way. “Every day, in PLTW classrooms around the country, students are developing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they are going to need to be college- and career-ready when they graduate. After-school programs and competitions that allow students to pursue their passion for creativity and innovation are a great complement to the rigorous in-school STEM program that PLTW students experience every day in the classroom. We congratulate all of the PLTW schools on their successful performance in this competition, especially the Champions from Redondo Union, Mira Costa and South Windsor High Schools.”
Project Lead The Way’s hands-on, project based program engages the hearts and minds of thousands of middle school and high school students through STEM education by helping them connect what they are learning in the classroom to real-life problems. PLTW students use professional design software in the classroom that allows them to imagine, create and build things like robots and cars, applying what they learn in math and science to the world’s grand challenges. Studies have shown that PLTW students are more engaged in learning than their peers and more likely to attend college and major in STEM-related fields than non-PLTW students.
Lock added, “We are really encouraged by the level of innovation and creativity from all of the teams that participated in this competition and hope that the entire country is paying attention. An innovative, rigorous and project-based STEM curriculum during the school day is exactly the kind of learning experience we need to be providing students. It is no coincidence that PLTW students performed so well in the competition – they spend every school day developing these problem-solving skills. Every student in every school should have the opportunity to participate in classes that develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. After school competitions like the FIRST competition are wonderful, but many students don’t have access to or even time to pursue after school activities. As a nation, we must also commit increased resources to STEM based programs in school so that all students can develop these skills that are so critical to their ability to succeed in the 21st century.”
About Project Lead The Way
Project Lead The Way, Inc., is a national, non-profit organization that is the leading provider of rigorous and innovative STEM education curricular programs used in K-12 schools. The PLTW comprehensive curriculum, which is collaboratively developed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators, emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, innovation and real-world problem solving. The hands-on, project-based program engages students on multiple levels, exposes them to areas of study that they typically do not pursue, and provides them with a foundation and proven path to college and career success. PLTW began in 1998 in 12 high schools in upstate New York as a program designed to address the shortage of engineering students at the college level and has grown to a network of almost 3,400 middle and high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 350,000 students are enrolled in PLTW courses. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.
Minnesota State Mankato @ 7700 France Edina to offer Engineering Masters Degree Fall 2010
The Engineering programs at Minnesota State University, Mankato offer a Master of Science in Engineering degree program. In consultation with their committee, students design their own program of study by choosing courses from Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science. The program is designed to serve engineers in business and industry who want to continue their formal engineering education at the postgraduate level; new engineering graduates who want to increase their depth of knowledge and develop an area of specialization; and those graduates from other related science disciplines who want to broaden their backgrounds by pursuing engineering studies at the graduate level. Read more.
