Project Lead The Way State Conference
The Wisconsin Project Lead The Way (PLTW) State Conference is a little over four weeks away. The event takes place November 15th and 16th at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center. The mission of PLTW is “Preparing students for the global economy.”
PLTW develops STEM curricula for use by elementary, middle, and high schools. It offers a rigorous, problem-based curriculum along with development training for instructors. The program also provides hands-on, “real world” projects to get young people thinking about careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A PLTW University Affiliate is a post-secondary educational institution that partners with the national PLTW office to offer services to schools districts in a state or region. In Wisconsin, that affiliate is Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).
Some of the PLTW opportunities in which students can participate include project-based workshops, spring break and summer camps, and Challenge Day competitions. These interactive programs are great ways for students to improve their problem-solving skills and challenge themselves with unique assignments not often found in the classroom.
In order to empower more students to thrive and ignite more interest in STEM, there are funding opportunities for more access to PLTW. The PLTW grant program is made possible through generous philanthropic gifts from partners that help school districts start new programs and expand existing programs. These partners understand the importance of learning critical thinking skills and increasing confidence and what that means for the future success of the next generation.
The State Conference in November spans over two days and includes workshops and keynote speakers. There will also be a scrimmage for the VEX Robotics Competition at the conference to give attendees an idea of how a robotics competition works. PLTW Affiliate Director Chaning Ogden says, “It should be an awesome opportunity to showcase the value of VEX!”
For more information about the conference agenda or to register, visit http://www.pltwwi.org/StateConference. Information for vendors and exhibitors is also available.
