K 12 Programs Plug Into Technology With Project Lead The Way Curriculum

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a national program that offers a pre-engineering curriculum for high schools and middle schools. The high school curriculum consists of five courses covering solid modeling with a CAD package, digital electronics, principles of engineering, computer integrated manufacturing, and implementation of a design project. Teachers learn the technical, project-based course material in an intensive, twoweek summer training session at the PLTW Summer Training Center at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) or at one of the six National Training Affiliates. Nearly 300 high schools and middle schools across the country are affiliated with PLTW. This report discusses the Project Lead The Way program nationally as well as its implementation in Indiana. This paper gives a brief description of the five courses in the high school curriculum and the gateway course in the middle school curriculum. These courses emphasize hands-on, project-oriented learning. This paper also tells how PLTW, the Indiana Department of Education, Purdue University, RIT, and affiliate schools in the state have come together to implement this program in Indiana.