Grants to Fund New Pre-Engineering Programs for Middle Schools
Five Indiana school districts will implement new pre-engineering programs for middle school students this year thanks to the support of a $50,000 grant from Alcoa Foundation. Project Lead The Way is a national program focusing on partnerships between public schools, institutions of higher education, and businesses to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from U.S. schools.
Each district received $7,000 from Alcoa Foundation to support the study, implementation and expansion of Project Lead The Way in middle schools in communities where Alcoa has a presence. The funds will also be used to develop a brochure to inform business and industry about the program.
“Many Indiana schools have been working to increase student interest in engineering and engineering technology,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed said. “Alcoa Foundation’s generous donation is another example of communities working together to make a difference in student achievement.”
The school districts receiving the grants include:
• Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation
• Crawfordsville Community Schools
• Tippecanoe School Corporation
• LaPorte Community School Corporation
• DeKalb County Central United School District
“This grant is a way to give back to our communities where there are needs for highly skilled employees,” said Mike Belwood, Alcoa’s manager of North American Public Strategy. “Project Lead The Way is a great college and workforce preparation tool -- and a great way to home-grow the work force of the future.”
Evansville, Crawfordsville, and Tippecanoe schools will use the program to establish, expand and improve the “Project Lead The Way - Gateway To Technology” middle school programs at Perry Heights Middle School in the Evansville, Joseph F. Tuttle Middle School in Crawfordsville, and Southwestern Middle School in Lafayette. LaPorte will use the funds to implement the Project Lead The Way “Introduction to Engineering Design” high school course at Kesling Middle School and Paul F. Boston Middle School.
DeKalb officials will use the funds to study the implementation
of the “Project Lead The Way - Gateway To Technology”
middle school program or the Project Lead The Way “Introduction
to Engineering Design” high school course at DeKalb Middle
School.
“The start up expenses for equipment and training for the
teacher are very expensive. Without the assistance of Alcoa Foundation,
we would not have been able to offer this program to our students,”
Crawfordsville Superintendent Kathleen Steele said. “Through
Gateway to Technology and Project Lead The Way high school classes,
Crawfordsville students will be prepared to enter the workforce
or continue on with higher education.”
“We are very excited about the start of the Project Lead the Way Introduction to Engineering Course at two schools this year,” Kesling Middle School Principal William Wilmsen said. “Students are energetic and are looking forward to the additional academic challenge that the engineering course will offer.”
Indiana is a national leader in Project Lead The Way, Inc. – second only to New York – with more than 180 schools and 500 businesses volunteers. Companies can participate in several ways to build the state’s supply of qualified and talented engineering and technology professionals.
Project Lead the Way’s rigorous and relevant, hands-on, project-based curriculum gives middle- and high-school students real-world experience with Indiana companies. More information on the program is available online at www.pltw.org.
About Alcoa Foundation
Established in 1952, Alcoa Foundation is a global resource that actively invests in improving the quality of life in the countries around the world where Alcoa operates. The Foundation's grants address global and local needs in Areas of Excellence that include: Conservation and Sustainability, Global Education and Workplace Skills, Business and Community Partnerships and Safe and Healthy Children and Families. Alcoa Foundation manages Alcoa's ACTION and Bravo! programs which recognize the volunteer efforts of employees with grants to the organizations they serve. For more information about Alcoa Foundation, visit www.alcoa.com, under Community.
About Alcoa
Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa(R) wheels, and Baco(R) household wraps. Among its other businesses are closures, fastening systems, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 129,000 employees in 44 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.