Dart Foundation - Project Lead the Way

Project Lead the Way in Sarasota, Florida Prepares Students for Engineering Careers

by Claudia Deschaine

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a national not-for-profit educational program that gives middle and high school students rigorous ground-level education to develop strong backgrounds in science and engineering. The Dart Foundation, in partnership with the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and the Koski Family Foundation, funded Project Lead the Way at Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida.

The Dart Foundation grant helped fund equipment, materials, supplies and teacher training for the Computer Integrated Classroom at Riverview High School. The classroom is built around the concepts of computer modeling, machine tooling, robotics and flexible manufacturing systems. It currently enrolls 150 students in grades nine through 12. As a result, PLTW at Riverview received National Certification, allowing Riverview High School students to earn college credit, qualify for scholarships, and advance to prestigious colleges.

Nationally, Project Lead the Way has been implemented in 3,000 schools and benefited 500,000 students across the United States. Studies have shown that PLTW students become the prepared, competent high-tech employees that U.S. industries need to succeed.

The Dart Foundation grant helped fund equipment, materials, supplies and teacher training for the Computer Integrated Classroom at Riverview High School.

National surveys of PLTW students suggest that 80% intend to go to college, compared with 63% for all high school seniors. Sixty percent intend to major in science, engineering or technology, and 90% said they chose their major in part due to their PLTW experiences. A 2007 study showed that PLTW students select engineering at five to ten times the rate of typical students. It is the strongest evidence that PLTW is achieving its mission of increasing the quantity, quality and diversity of engineers and technologists.

Courtesy of Education Foundation of Sarasota County.

Cutting the ribbon for the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Classroom at Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida in March 2010 is Ariane Dart, representing the Dart Foundation.