$6 Million Partnership Targets ‘STEM Pipeline’

Indianapolis-based Project Lead The Way Inc. says a new $6 million corporate partnership will help expand its programs in select urban school districts throughout the country. Chief Executive Officer Vince Bertram says the agreement with Lockheed Martin will help develop the “next generation work force” in science, technology, engineering and math-related fields. He says the partnership will also build on an initiative that connects students with Lockheed engineers.

Indianapolis, Ind. — Project Lead The Way (PLTW) announced Tuesday a $6 million national partnership with Lockheed Martin to expand PLTW's science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs in select U.S. urban school districts. The specific urban districts will be announced in the coming months.

“Success in building the next generation of STEM talent depends on collaboration among industry, educators, policy makers, and families,” said Jeff Wilcox, Lockheed Martin vice president of Engineering. “Our partnership with Project Lead The Way is designed to educate and inspire tomorrow's scientists, engineers, and mathematicians.”

Expanding student access to STEM education is an issue of national prosperity and security. The United States Department of Commerce reports that by 2018, STEM-related jobs in the United States will grow by 17 percent, nearly double the rate of jobs in non-STEM fields. There will be 1.2 million unfilled STEM jobs by 2018, due to a lack of qualified, trained workers. Expanding access to STEM education for underrepresented minority students is also of great interest – minority students only make up 10 percent of U.S. scientists and engineers.

PLTW is taking action by giving over 600,000 students each year in more than 5,000 schools across the United States access to high-quality programs that promote problem solving, critical thinking, and real-world application of learning. Lockheed Martin's partnership will expand access to PLTW programs for students in urban districts.

“STEM education has never been more important for our country, and no one can solve this problem alone. That is why we are so excited about our national partnership with Lockheed Martin,” said PLTW president and CEO Vince Bertram. “Lockheed Martin is deeply committed to helping students succeed and building the next generation workforce in the United States. We are pleased with their continued investment in PLTW.”

Since 2007, Lockheed Martin has provided over $1.2 million in grants and scholarships to PLTW students. The company has also supported the development of PLTW's middle school and high school courses focused on aerospace engineering and flight, and connected Lockheed Martin engineers with students through the company's “Engineers in the Classroom” initiative.

Lockheed Martin is PLTW's second official National Partner, joining Chevron in forming public-private partnerships to promote STEM interests. Over the next several months, a select group of other top corporations, foundations, and educational organizations will join Lockheed Martin and Chevron as PLTW's National Partners. Together they will form PLTW's National Advisory Council and will work alongside PLTW's Senior Leadership Team to prepare America's students for the jobs of tomorrow.

About PLTW

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the nation's leading provider of STEM programs. PLTW's world-class, activity-, project, and problem-based curriculum and high-quality teacher professional development model, combined with an engaged network of educators and corporate partners, help students develop the skills needed to succeed in our global economy. More than 5,000 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are currently offering PLTW courses to their students. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

Source: Project Lead The Way Inc.