Batesville High School recently announced that it is the recipient of a $10,000 grant from Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program. The grant was made possible by a generous donation from Bemis Company. Funds from the grant will support the enhancement of the PLTW engineering curriculum, including the purchase of materials and equipment that will be used in the hands-on, activity-, project-, and problem-based courses that are a distinguishing characteristic of PLTW’s curriculum.
“The grant provides necessary funds to expand our Engineering curriculum beyond normal PLTW practices to further develop work readiness skills,” said Batesville High School Principal Andy Allen. “Mr. Hughes creates a student-centered learning environment that enables all students to develop necessary skills to enter the engineering field.”
Batesville High School has offered PLTW’s Pathway To Engineering (PTE) program since 2008, a program in which students engage in open-ended problem solving, learn and apply the engineering design process, and build strong teamwork, communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. Throughout the PTE courses, students use the same industry-leading technology and software as the world’s top companies. In many cases, students have the opportunity to earn college credit, further setting them up for postsecondary and career success.
The PLTW grant application process is highly competitive for schools. To receive a grant, schools go through a rigorous application process, which includes demonstrating that the school meets specific requirements and eligibility criteria to be awarded grant funds. The requirements include district and community support, teacher professional development, technology acquisitions, a program sustainability plan, and many other factors.
“Project Lead The Way is committed to providing the highest quality STEM education to prepare today’s students for the global economy,” said PLTW President and CEO Vince Bertram. “We were pleased to receive so many quality grant applications, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Batesville High School to prepare our nation’s next generation of innovators. Finally, we’d like to thank our generous industry partners who made this grant possible.”
PLTW inspires and engages students in STEM learning through four programs which span from kindergarten through twelfth grade: PLTW Launch, designed for students in grades K-5; Gateway To Technology for middle school students; and Pathway To Engineering and Biomedical Sciences for high school students. Each program emphasizes the integration of core math and science topics with skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork – the top in-demand skills identified by business and industry leaders for success in the global economy.
