Spring-Ford HS Awarded $35K Grant for Engineering Curriculum

Students at Spring-Ford Area High School will have the opportunity to study more in-demand fields starting in the next school year. The new Project Lead the Way program will get some help through a $35,000 grant award from the Bemis Company.  The money will be distributed over a three-year period.

“We’re thrilled with the grant award,” Assistant Director of Curriculum Kimberly Bast said. “The funds will help pay for equipment, training, materials and resources that are needed to run the program.”

Spring-Ford Area High School’s new Project Lead the Way program, Pathway To Engineering (PTE) program, will begin in the Fall of 2014 and add one of four engineering classes each year for the next four years.

PTE is a program in which students engage in open-ended problem solving, learn and apply the engineering design process, and build strong teamwork, communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. Throughout the PTE courses, students use the same industry-leading technology and software as the world’s top companies.  

“We want to make sure we are giving our students every opportunity to succeed after they leave high school,” Bast said. “Engineering is one of the top in-demand jobs in the country, so any head start we can give students is always worth investing in.”

The new engineering program was approved in the fall as part of the district’s goal to implement a strong STEM program. The District will receive the first payment of the $35,000 grant in June, which will help with implementation of the program for the fall. The payments will come in three installments of $10,000, $15,000 and another $10,000.

In addition to catching student interest early, the new engineering program will also give them a leg up on college applications. Students in the program could receive class credit from some colleges when they enroll. At the very least, students who take the program will be more preferred to colleges.