Date: Jan. 24, 2008
Contact: Pat Matreci, pmatreci@stlcc.edu, 314-539-5144
St. Louis Community College has received a $10,000 grant from The Boeing Company, the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft, to implement workshops for area secondary school instructors who are teaching Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses beginning this spring.
PLTW is a curriculum-based program that promotes engineering courses for middle and high school students. As a result of this grant, STLCC-Florissant Valley's mathematics/engineering/technology/science (METS) department will develop a series of teacher training workshops for PLTW educators from participating schools to gain greater understanding of engineering principles, applications and impact on METS-related education and careers.
"Nationwide, there is an urgent concern regarding the preparedness of students at the P-20 levels for careers that require knowledge in mathematics, science, engineering and technologies," said Ashok Agrawal, dean of mathematics/engineering/technology/science at STLCC-Florissant Valley. "In order for Missouri to remain globally competitive, it must expand the skills of students to ensure a competitive work force. We are grateful to the Boeing Company for providing the means for PLTW instructors to successfully implement the curriculum."
Secondary school teachers involved in delivery of PLTW courses are required to attend two-week intensive training in the specific contents covered in PLTW courses. However, many of these teachers have no prior engineering education or experience.
Workshops will be offered in a two half-day format, with the second half-day an open invitation to industry mentors to participate. The workshops will be open to 20 teachers from St. Louis area schools already teaching PLTW courses, are interested in the relationship to the other PLTW courses, or are considering/planning to attend the summer training.
In order to help meet this critical workforce need, the METS program at STLCC-Florissant Valley developed a regional partnership comprised of colleges and universities, industry members, and area high schools. The partnership, named the St. Louis Regional Engineering Academy, was formed to grow the St. Louis region's engineering and engineering technology work force. The primary goal is to attract students to pursue careers in math, science, engineering and technology by participating in PLTW. The St. Louis Regional Engineering Academy is providing technical assistance and instructional support.
"Students participating in PLTW courses are better prepared for college engineering programs and are more likely to be successful, thus reducing the attrition rates," Agrawal said.
More than 1,200 students in 20 area high schools currently are enrolled in PLTW courses.
For more information about the workshops, contact Agrawal at aagrawal@stlcc.edu or 314-513-4308.
Established in 1962, St. Louis Community College is the largest community college district in Missouri and one of the largest in the United States. STLCC has four campuses - Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec and Wildwood - that annually serve more than 120,000 students through credit, non-credit and continuing education courses. For more information about STLCC, visit www.stlcc.edu.
