Saturday, July 31, 2021

Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center Receives Grant to Expand Transformative High School Engineering Program from Project Lead The Way

PLTW’s programs will provide hands-on, interdisciplinary STEM-based curriculum that uniquely prepares students for life beyond the classroom.

Port Allegany, PA – Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center announced today that it will offer Project Lead The Way’s (PLTW) high school program, PLTW Engineering. The opportunity is made possible through a partnership between Ardagh Group, a global supplier of infinitely-recyclable metal and glass consumer packaging, and PLTW, a nonprofit organization that offers transformative classroom and learning experiences for PreK-12 students. Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center is joining more than 12,200 schools across the U.S. providing opportunities for brighter futures for all students.  

Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center will use funds from the grant to expand its PLTW Engineering program, a key component of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and help cover annual program fees, teacher professional development, and required classroom equipment and materials.

This grant will provide unique opportunities for Pre-engineering students to earn industry recognized credentials, experience advanced curriculum and engage in hands-on learning related to advanced manufacturing. PLTW facilitates training for educators to deliver curriculum and competencies required for students to complete the state approved program of study. In addition to this advanced training, student will experience a variety of career pathways and opportunities aligned with our region and employers.

This particular PLTW expansion is made possible by a grant from Ardagh, which has a strong presence in the region. “Ardagh is a major employer in all of the communities in which we operate across the Americas and Europe,” said Paul Coulson, Chairman and CEO, Ardagh Group. “We are proud to employ more than 6,000 skilled people in 24 of our locations. Social sustainability is at the core of our sustainability strategy. We recognize the critical role education, and access to education, plays in ensuring equal opportunities and in building successful, vibrant communities. We expect to invest $50 million over ten years to support education in our U.S. communities. We are delighted to announce our first partnership in this initiative with PLTW and are making an initial investment of $12 million in this multi-year, impactful program. Ardagh’s investment will drive quality STEM education in our U.S. communities that are key to economic development, as well as to our business over the long term.”

Beginning with the school year 2021-22 school year, Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center will offer PLTW Engineering funded through a $50,000 grant from Ardagh.  

High school is the time when students are planning for life beyond the classroom. Through PLTW Engineering, Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center’s students step into the role of an engineer, adopt a problem-solving mindset, and engage in compelling, real-world challenges that help them become better collaborators and thinkers. From launching space explorations to delivering safe, clean water to communities, engineers find solutions to pressing problems and turn their ideas into reality. Through PLTW Engineering, students will not only build knowledge and skills in engineering but will also develop essential skills such as problem solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and perseverance they will use for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.  

“PLTW is proud to partner with Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center to inspire students to excel in math and science,” said Dr. Vince Bertram, PLTW President and CEO. “Together, we’re empowering millions of young people to become inspired problem solvers. We’re passionate about equipping the next generation of students with the in-demand, real-world knowledge and skills they need to go further whatever path they choose.”

PLTW programs also include professional development opportunities that provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students, as well as collaborative cohort-based opportunities that build lasting professional learning communities. Through PLTW Core Training, teachers will encounter best-in-class experiences that keep them on the forefront of how to prepare students for the demands of tomorrow.  

For more information on Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center’s PLTW Engineering program, contact. James Young at jyoung@iu9ctc.org

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About PLTW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a mission-driven organization that is transforming the learning experience for millions of PreK-12 students and thousands of teachers across the U.S. PLTW provides PreK-12 schools, teachers, and students with hands-on interdisciplinary STEM-based curriculum that uniquely prepares students for life beyond the classroom through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. More than 15,000 programs in more 12,200 schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs. For more information about PLTW, visit pltw.org.

About Ardagh                                                     

Ardagh Group is a global supplier of sustainable, infinitely recyclable, metal and glass packaging for brand owners around the world. Ardagh operates 57 metal and glass production facilities in 12 countries, employing more than 16,000 people with sales of approximately $7bn.

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