Rowan named state affiliate for Project Lead the Way
Rowan named state affiliate for Project Lead the Way
October 19, 2006
A national, non-profit organization that promotes educational opportunities for today's students who want to become tomorrow's engineers has named Rowan University its sole national affiliate for New Jersey.
Project Lead the Way (PLTW), according to its web site, is a national program that forms partnerships among public schools, higher education institutions and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from the U.S. education system. First developed in the 1980s by Richard Blais, who was then chairman of the Technology Department of an upstate New York school district, PLTW is now offered in more than 45 states and the District of Columbia.
The nation's leading pre-engineering middle school and high school program, according to the organization, PLTW provides local, state and national organization for leadership and support, a model curriculum, teacher training and development through its affiliation with some of the nation's leading colleges and universities and a network of consultants throughout the country.
"For students interested in technology, Project Lead The Way may be the catalyst for starting them on an exciting career path," said Dr. Ronald Butcher, executive director of Rowan's Education Institute, who is the principal investigator responsible for management oversight of PLTW at Rowan. "Representatives from Rowan's Colleges of Engineering and Education, along with the Education Institute, negotiated with Project Lead the Way for several months to acquire this national affiliate designation. We're very enthused with this new opportunity to expose New Jersey's students and those responsible for their education to the Project Lead the Way curriculum, to provide teachers with related training and to help guide involved students through their transition from middle school to high school to college and ultimately into an exciting career in the field of engineering or technology."
Dr. Dianne Dorland, dean of Rowan's College of Engineering, will serve as program director, and Rowan will select faculty to participate as PLTW master teachers, each of whom will then receive related training from PLTW national staff. Additional Rowan activities will include:
-- Conducting three phases of technical assistance for those participating in PLTW, most of which is related to curriculum and instruction for middle school and high school personnel
-- Implementing the PLTW certification process for participating schools
-- Offering graduate credit to school personnel who complete PLTW Phase II Core Training
-- Conducting a variety of promotional and awareness programs for school counselors.
Dorland said, "The core of our success in producing engineers lies in the K-12 system. Project Lead the Way offers resources to high school and middle school teachers that strengthens student opportunities in engineering or science throughout the state, and the College of Engineering is pleased to support this program.
Teachers and administrators who believe their middle school or high school would be interested in becoming a PLTW participant are invited to contact Liz Seville, of the Education Institute, at (856) 256-4715 for more information.
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Project Lead the Way (PLTW), according to its web site, is a national program that forms partnerships among public schools, higher education institutions and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from the U.S. education system. First developed in the 1980s by Richard Blais, who was then chairman of the Technology Department of an upstate New York school district, PLTW is now offered in more than 45 states and the District of Columbia.
The nation's leading pre-engineering middle school and high school program, according to the organization, PLTW provides local, state and national organization for leadership and support, a model curriculum, teacher training and development through its affiliation with some of the nation's leading colleges and universities and a network of consultants throughout the country.
"For students interested in technology, Project Lead The Way may be the catalyst for starting them on an exciting career path," said Dr. Ronald Butcher, executive director of Rowan's Education Institute, who is the principal investigator responsible for management oversight of PLTW at Rowan. "Representatives from Rowan's Colleges of Engineering and Education, along with the Education Institute, negotiated with Project Lead the Way for several months to acquire this national affiliate designation. We're very enthused with this new opportunity to expose New Jersey's students and those responsible for their education to the Project Lead the Way curriculum, to provide teachers with related training and to help guide involved students through their transition from middle school to high school to college and ultimately into an exciting career in the field of engineering or technology."
Dr. Dianne Dorland, dean of Rowan's College of Engineering, will serve as program director, and Rowan will select faculty to participate as PLTW master teachers, each of whom will then receive related training from PLTW national staff. Additional Rowan activities will include:
-- Conducting three phases of technical assistance for those participating in PLTW, most of which is related to curriculum and instruction for middle school and high school personnel
-- Implementing the PLTW certification process for participating schools
-- Offering graduate credit to school personnel who complete PLTW Phase II Core Training
-- Conducting a variety of promotional and awareness programs for school counselors.
Dorland said, "The core of our success in producing engineers lies in the K-12 system. Project Lead the Way offers resources to high school and middle school teachers that strengthens student opportunities in engineering or science throughout the state, and the College of Engineering is pleased to support this program.
Teachers and administrators who believe their middle school or high school would be interested in becoming a PLTW participant are invited to contact Liz Seville, of the Education Institute, at (856) 256-4715 for more information.
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