Posted by Courtney E. Howard
AVIONICS INTELLIGENCE VIDEO BLOG, 11 Oct. 2011. Industry technology firms are partnering with educators, students, and educational facilities to inspire new generations of avionics engineers. Prime contractors, such as Lockheed Martin Corp., are investing in today’s students and, ultimately, tomorrow’s avionics engineers.
Lockheed Martin officials have partnered with Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a non-profit organization, to roll out an enhanced, cutting-edge middle school and high school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum. PLTW STEM education curriculum programs are employed in more than 4,200 middle and high schools nationwide.
Lockheed Martin, as part of its commitment to PLTW and STEM education, has contributed $136,000 and engineering expertise to revise the Flight and Space unit of the Gateway To Technology (GTT) middle school program and the Aerospace Engineering course of the Pathway To Engineering (PTE) high school program.
“As the national leader in STEM education, we are proud to partner with Lockheed Martin, a world leader in advanced technologies,” says PLTW President and CEO Vince Bertram. “This collaboration is powerful for both our organizations, and more importantly, it helps transform the learning experience for thousands of children.”
“The opportunity to collaborate with aerospace engineering professionals from Lockheed Martin ensures the enhanced curriculum is rooted in real-world application,” explains Bryce McLean, a PLTW master teacher for aerospace engineering at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Aerospace Engineering is one of eight STEM courses taught through PLTW’s high school PTE program. Flight and Space is one of six units offered through PLTW’s middle school STEM program along with other units.
Through its “Engineers in the Classroom” initiative, Lockheed Martin supports PLTW students and schools by providing engineers in the classroom. PLTW students who attend Lockheed’s Engineers in the Classroom schools and plan to attend an engineering college are eligible for scholarship money from Lockheed Martin.
