Eastern Michigan University has been designated as the
lone Michigan school to deliver the national Project Lead
the Way (PLTW) program, aimed at generating earlier
interest in engineering from students and meeting the state's
need for more engineers.
"There is a strong demand for engineers in southeastern
Michigan, even with GM, Ford and Chrysler downsizing," said
Robert Brewster, human resource manager with Ford Motor
Co. and a member of PLTW's Michigan Advisory Committee. "There
is still a demand, with technical centers coming into the
area, for newly minted engineers as well as experienced
engineers."
"We see this as an excellent way to market our programs
and increase student enrollment in engineering and engineering
technology programs at EMU," said Paul Kuwik, director
of EMU's Centers and Institutes, and a professor in the
School of Technology Studies.
PLTW, a national, nonprofit training program based in
Clifton, N.Y., has developed a four-year sequence of courses
which, when combined with college preparatory mathematics
and science courses in high school, introduces middle and
high school students to engineering and prepares them for
postsecondary engineering studies.
First developed in the 1980s, PLTW is now offered to approximately
200,000 students at 1,763 schools in 46 states and the
District of Columbia, said Robert Dorn, director of university
initiatives for PLTW.
"Most (high school) science programs have eliminated (lab)
experimentation. Science, for the most part, is still being
taught as memorization and regurgitation," Dorn said. "Our
curriculum is complete. We provide students with applicable
activities to solve real-life problems and we have a teaching
pedagogy geared to motivate kids."
Introduction of engineering courses at the middle school
and high school levels will attract more students — including
underrepresented groups — to engineering and give
those students an opportunity to determine if engineering
is their career interest, Dorn said.
The preparation also would significantly cut the number
of students who begin college as engineering majors, but
ultimately drop out of the program or change majors. The
national dropout rate between the freshman and sophomore
years in college engineering programs is about 60 percent,
with only about a 40-percent retention rate, Dorn
said.
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Cardon |
"I think we'll see an increase in students enrolling in
our engineering programs," said Phil Cardon, an EMU associate
professor of technology education and a member of the advisory
committee. "We're getting interest not only in Michigan,
but we have students coming to EMU from Wisconsin and New
York because they heard about PLTW."
Four EMU faculty have or are currently taking summer training
at the Rochester Institute of Technology to learn the core
engineering courses developed by PLTW. These courses include: "Principles
of Engineering," "Introduction to Engineering Design," "Digital
Electronics," 'Computer Integrated Manufacturing" and "Gateway
to Technology."
"We do have a commitment from our college that this is
important for the University," said Cardon, who will be
trained to teach the "Principles of Engineering" course.
Once trained, EMU faculty will provide PLTW training sessions
on campus this winter for middle school and high school
education math, science and technology teachers. Currently,
25 middle and high schools in Genesee and Wayne counties
are on board to use the PLTW curriculum, Kuwik said.
The College of Technology's marketing plans include:
- Sending electronic and traditional mailings to schools,
principals and teachers;
- Hosting initial receptions in the intermediate school
districts in Washtenaw, Wayne, Genesee, Oakland, Monroe,
Jackson and Livingston counties;
- Offer PLTW training sessions during the winter, spring
and summer terms to those middle and high schools wishing
to participate in PLTW; and
- Offer pre-service teacher training courses, using the
PLTW curriculum, to teachers for grades 7-12.
- In addition, there is a possibility some of the PLTW
courses could be used as part of EMU's popular Summerquest
program, Cardon said.
EMU's start-up costs are projected at $250,000 for the
first three years of the PLTW project. To date, EMU has
obtained a $36,000 equipment grant from the Convergence
Education Foundation. The foundation's mission is to positively
influence youth toward engineering, science and mathematics
careers. In addition, other grant proposals have been submitted.
EMU's College of Technology has committed $17,500 for faculty
PLTW training.
PLTW programs in other states have received significant
support. However, the state of Michigan is not able to
support this program at this time, said Mary
Cooperwasser, director of development for the College of
Technology.
As a result, "a number of proposals for private
funding are being considered by foundations and corporations
around the state," she said. "EMU is so committed to this
program that it has chosen to move ahead even before all
the funding is in place."
After
three years, it is hoped the program will become self-sufficient
through teacher in-service training, high school student
tuition, and state and federal grants, Cardon said.
"We need to put forward teachers who want to inspire students
in engineering and engineering technology. We have the
talent," said Karl Klimek, vice chairman and project coordinator
for the Convergence Education Foundation and who has an
education degree from EMU.
Until November 2005, Ferris State University was the state
university designated to provide PLTW training. EMU applied
for the state designation and received it, Dorn said. The
PLTW determined that EMU could effectively perform the
duties of an affiliate for Michigan, he said. Kettering
University in Flint has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding
to assist EMU's PLTW program with recruiting middle schools
to adopt the PLTW program, and to help with teacher training
when necessary.
