Chelmsford Adopts Project Lead The Way STEM Program

Chelmsford, Massachusetts – The Parker Middle School and the McCarthy Middle School announced today that they have adopted Project Lead The Way (PLTW) and will begin offering courses in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year. PLTW is the nation’s leading provider of STEM curricula to middle and high schools with more than 5,200 programs in over 4,700 schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Parker Middle School and the McCarthy Middle School will offer PLTW’s Gateway To Technology program. Gateway To Technology (GTT) is a program that engages the natural curiosity and imagination of middle school students, while introducing them to engineering, robotics, computer modeling, and energy, among other STEM-related subjects. GTT courses are often used as electives or as part of a school’s  technical engineering curricula, allowing students the opportunity to apply what they are learning in traditional math and science classes to real-world, hands-on problems and projects. The curricula is designed to give students a solid foundation for further STEM learning in high school and beyond.

“PLTW has a long history of successfully engaging students in STEM subjects,” said Anne-Marie Fiore, Director of Technology and Information. “ We are proud to offer PLTW to our students, giving them an advantage over their peers when it comes to high school, college and career readiness. We believe our community will also see the benefits of PLTW as the pool of highly-skilled workers for local businesses increases.”

In addition to providing world-class STEM curricula to middle and high schools, PLTW provides ongoing, high-quality professional development training for middle and high school teachers so they can effectively implement – and teach – the engaging hands-on, project-based curriculum. PLTW schools also benefit from the organization’s engaged network of Fortune 500 companies, state leaders, and university affiliations, which provide students opportunities for college credit, scholarships and admissions preferences. School-based PLTW Partnership Teams complement the curriculum by recruiting local business and industry professionals to serve as mentors and share their real-world experiences with students.

“In today’s global economy, Americans are competing not just against each other but against their peers in countries like China and India,” said Vince Bertram, CEO of PLTW. “It is more critical now than ever for our education system to help students develop the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to prepare them for the global economy.”

###

About PLTW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is the leading provider of rigorous and innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education curricular programs used in schools. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, PLTW exists to prepare students for the global economy through its world-class curriculum, high-quality professional development, and an engaged network of educators, students, universities and professionals. PLTW’s comprehensive curriculum has been collaboratively designed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators to promote critical thinking, creativity, innovation and real-world problem solving skills in students. 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. More than 4,700 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.