Project Lead the Way


Project Lead The Way is an American nonprofit organization that develops STEM curricula for use by US elementary, middle and high schools.

Description

PLTW provides curriculum and training to teachers and administrators to implement the curriculum. The curriculum is project based. There are three levels of curriculum, for elementary, middle, and high school levels. PLTW Launch is the elementary school level, designed for preschool through fifth grade. The curriculum consists of 28 modules that touch on a variety of science and technology topics. PLTW Gateway is the middle school level, covering grades six through eight. It consists of ten different modules, which can be taught in any order, so that schools can organize the modules into courses as best fits their own schedules. At the high school level, there are three different programs offered, each with a four-course sequence. The three high school pathways are computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. Within each high school pathway are four or more courses designed to be taken in a certain order; there's an introductory course, 2 or more middle level courses that can be taken in any order, and then a capstone course for the final high school year.

AP + PLTW

In 2015, College Board partnered with Project Lead The Way in an effort to encourage STEM majors. Students who have successfully passed at least three exams are eligible to receive the AP + PLTW Student Recognition for one or more of the following: Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, and Computer Science.

Payment and distribution

Schools that register with PLTW pay a flat participation fee that includes the curriculum, all required course software, access to school and technical support, and access to PLTW's learning management system. Teachers who instruct the Project Lead The Way curriculum are required to take part in PLTW's three-phase professional development program.

Financial support for PLTW

Governments of several states, including New York, Indiana, Iowa, and South Carolina, have provided funding to PLTW to support future development.
The Kern Family Foundation of Wisconsin provides financial support for the program in the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Kern first became involved with PLTW in Wisconsin in 2004 as one of several programs it funds in an attempt to enhance U.S. economic competitiveness by trying to qualify more students for engineering and technology careers. The foundation's expenditures in support of the funding of PLTW total more than $23 million. Other foundations funding PLTW include the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Conrad Foundation.