PLTW Annual Report 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

OUR MISSION: EMPOWER STUDENTS TO THRIVE IN AN EVOLVING WORLD.

Our pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science:

• Engage students in hands-on activities, projects, and problems.

• Empower them to solve real-world challenges.

• Inspire them to reimagine how they see themselves.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kurt Liebich, MBA

PLTW Board Chair

Board of Directors:

Chairman of the Board of Managers, RedBuilt; President and Chief Executive Officer, RedBuilt (Former)

Eunice Heath, MBA

PLTW Board Vice Chair

Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, CRH

James Rahn, MA

PLTW Board Secretary

President, Kern Family Foundation

Chris Bradshaw, MBA Chief Marketing Officer

Dr. Gabriela A. González

Founder and CEO CihuaTEC Connect LLC

Stephanie Hill

Executive Vice President, Rotary and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin

Nick Ragone, JD

Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ascension

Amy Ross, SPHR, SHRM-SCP CEO and Founder, HumanKind HR

To our network of partners,

This was an important year in our 25-year history at PLTW. We delivered outstanding results for our network of educators and students, and we made important and necessary strides in transforming our work while thinking differently about our role in PreK-12 education.

I was excited to see many of you at PLTW Summit 2022 in Orlando, Florida, which was our first in-person event since 2019; this provided us an opportunity to reconnect and recognize the outstanding support of our partners and celebrate the great teaching and learning taking place in PLTW classrooms.

This past year, we introduced new professional development opportunities (PD), officially called PD Suite. Historically, PD has been coupled with the adoption of PLTW curriculum. For the first time ever, we now have curriculum-agnostic training meaning we can reach every teacher, at every grade level, in every school regardless of the subject or curriculum they are teaching. By utilizing design thinking methodology, the PLTW team also spent significant time focused on exciting new developments, including a supplemental core math product and events for our network of educators, that we look forward to delivering in Fiscal Year 24.

Last year, we were excited to share for the first time an estimated student count with our partners and business leaders. Based on rostering data, our estimated student count has increased from 2.2 million to over 2.47 million students across the U.S., and we are confident that we will continue to significantly increase the number of students served in the years to come.

This annual report highlights the important work we do at PLTW, and I thank each of you for playing a role in our ability to accomplish so much. Through strong and meaningful partnerships, we can accomplish much. As we look to the future, I am confident that we will continue strengthening and expanding our service to students, educators, and communities across the United States.

Thank you,

David L. Dimmett, EdD President and Chief Executive Officer Project Lead The Way

Created by teachers and led by educators, we strive to make EVERY STUDENT IN EVERY GRADE STEM-SUCCESSFUL.

109,221 Teachers Trained

15,707 Programs

Programs in all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories

12,472 Schools

2.47 Million Students*

79%

OUR IMPACT

of PLTW high school students agreed or strongly agreed that they can build an argument using logic and defend their point of view

*according to a survey following PLTW high school End-of-Course Assessments

PLTW GRANTS

1,644 grants totaling $17.6 million awarded to recipients in all 50 states and D.C.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

34%

Rural

BOLARIN LAWRENCE

33% Urban

34% Suburban

High Need

65% of all grantees

Heading into high school at Antelope High School (Antelope, California), Bolarin Lawrence assumed he might follow a path that would lead him toward a career as a doctor or lawyer, but he didn’t really know what that meant or how to get there. That’s when his football coach recognized Bo’s academic capabilities and recommended the PLTW Engineering courses.

At first, Bo couldn’t imagine himself in an engineering career, but he soon discovered that he could pair PLTW Engineering with PLTW Biomedical Science, exploring careers in biomedical engineering and biotechnology.

With both PLTW Engineering and PLTW Biomedical Science coursework to prepare him, Bo attended and graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a B.S. in Nanoengineering: Bioengineering. He immediately started working with Pfizer as an R&D Rotational Associate, where he advanced through three rotations within the research and development division of the company.

“What makes me most excited is the possibilities—the ability that I can go back to school, go into academia, stay in industry, or start government work. There are so many open pathways and so many open doors. Project Lead The Way started that, and I think Pfizer is continuing that.”

We equip students for a STEM-driven world with a TEACHER-EMPOWERED

2022-23 Curriculum Enhancements

• Introduced new Energy Exploration module that includes an interactive Main Street experience

• Aligned additional connections to math standards highlighting where math skills are applied in STEM learning experiences

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• Updated Automation and Robotics unit to include programming skills that are embedded throughout and modernized equipment for building robotics

• Updated App Creators and Green Architecture units to make content more relevant and interactive for students

• Updated Computer Science Essentials to include more affordable equipment and a more versatile, durable grid

• Updated Cybersecurity course to include a security lab console that allows teachers to schedule labs in advance to save time in class

• Updated Human Body Systems to include instant cases, engaging cases, and novel theming and staging

• Introduced Pathogen Patrol Roblox educational experience that provides students an exploration of immunological processes in a collaborative game environment

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• Introduced new PLTW Capstone course that was developed and tested for students in all high school pathways and allows for inclusive collaboration between disciplines

• Updated Principles of Engineering courses based on feedback from teachers for continuous course improvements

3,952 Programs

62,826 Teachers trained

5,014 Programs

21,600 Teachers trained

1,282 Programs

4,791 Teachers trained

1,707 Programs

6,273 Teachers trained

3,752 Programs

20,717 Teachers trained

We empower teachers to be CONFIDENT STEM MENTORS.

Distinguished Program Recognition

PLTW Distinguished Program Recognition celebrates districts and schools committed to helping students own their education by increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs.

1,005 Distinguished Schools and Districts

492 Distinguished PLTW Launch Schools

OUR IMPACT

PLTW improves students’ abilities to collaborate and problem solve

86%

89%

ability to work with others improved because of PLTW

ability to solve problems improved because of PLTW

*according to a survey of PLTW teachers

More than 1,000

Distinguished Schools and Districts

2022-23 PLTW National Awards

PLTW Educators across our network play an immeasurable role in our work to prepare students for college, career, and beyond. Each year, we honor and recognize outstanding PLTW teachers and administrators through the National PLTW Teachers and Administrators of the Year awards.

Dr. Shana M. D’Aurora-Wydra National PLTW Administrator of the Year

Rocco Barletta

National PLTW Gateway

Jerome Swiatek

National PLTW Computer Science

of the Year

High School, Florida

A PLTW Master Teacher, Katie McGormley serves as HOSA chapter advisor and teaches three of the Biomedical Science courses at Madison High School. She is a Red Cross First Aid for Severe Trauma instructor and Certified Health Education specialist while also serving as a charter member of the Health Science Educator’s Association.

“Over the years, I have been fortunate to work with numerous dedicated educators, but few have advocated as strongly and have invested the same level of time and energy in the courses they teach as Mrs. McGormley.”

—Kristin Thomas, Principal, Madison High School

Dr. D’Aurora-Wydra serves as Ambassador to the Chamber of Commerce, member of the Jefferson County Daughter of American Revolution (DAR), local Rotary and Kiwanis club member, and Cancer Dietary Initiative volunteer. In addition to serving as the STEM Director, Dr. D’AuroraWydra is an adjunct professor at Eastern Gateway Community College and Franciscan University of Steubenville.

“Dr. D’Aurora-Wydra is very active within the community and strives to build relationships by involving the schools throughout the district. She in an example of a strong, effective leader, in addition to being an excellent role model to the students.”

—William D. Paul, 5th Ward Councilman, City of Steubenville

Arun Srivastava

National PLTW Biomedical Science

Amber Pitts

National PLTW Launch

of the Year

Central, Ernie Pyle, and Van Duyn Elementary Schools, Indiana

Corey Duzan

National PLTW Engineering

of the Year Lockport High School, Illinois

STEM Director McKinley STEM Academy, Ohio

Katie McGormley

2022-23 Robert & Patricia Kern PLTW Teacher of the Year PLTW Biomedical Science Teacher Madison High School, Michigan

Teacher

Teacher of the Year Stevensville Middle School, Maryland

Teacher

Teacher of the Year High Tech High School, New Jersey

Teacher

Citrus

We foster meaningful in-person connection at 2022 SUMMIT AND PLTW OFFICE

In September 2022, PLTW officially opened its new headquarters, Kern-Liebich Center, in Indianapolis for PLTW Team Members and guests. For the last 25 years, the Kern and Liebich families have significantly supported PLTW in immeasurable ways. They believed, and continue to believe, that more students should be exposed to relevant, real-world learning experiences. We believe this naming is an appropriate way to honor their legacy and continue celebrating our mission of empowering students to thrive in an evolving world for the next 25 years and beyond.

Our 20,500 square-foot office space fosters connection and collaboration for PLTW Team Members, serves as a location for PLTW educators to participate in professional development, and is utilized to host meetings and events with guests, including partners and vendors.

Kern-Liebich Center

2022 PLTW Summit

In October 2022, we held our first in-person PLTW Summit since the pandemic. This gathering of our network and dedicated partners fosters the community of like-minded, passionate educators committed to delivering STEM education to all students.

More than 1,400 educators from across the country gathered in Orlando for three days of learning and connecting. Those who could not travel attended sessions in an online environment. Teachers, partners, and classroom vendors collaborated on activities, shared best practices, and reflected and recharged with each other.

During the keynote, former NFL football player and NASA astronaut Leland Melvin inspired the audience with his story of resiliency and the advocates in his life who identified his potential and pushed him to aim higher than he imagined. The conference concluded with an introspective session with presenters from Dear World, who challenged participants to own and tell their story, breaking their narrative down into what they call a “brain tattoo.”

The next in-person PLTW Summit is scheduled for 2024 in San Diego!

With the introduction of Professional Development Suite, we NEVER STOP LEARNING.

For more than 25 years, PLTW has offered best-in-class professional development to meet the needs of all educators. Our signature Core Training, taught by PLTW-certified Master Teachers who are also current classroom practitioners and leaders, has long inspired the confidence teachers need to guide cohesive, meaningful activity-, project-, and problembased learning in their classrooms.

Earlier this year, we expanded on our expertise delivering an exceptional professional development experience by offering the Professional Development Suite (PD Suite), a series of instructional and skill-based classes to elevate learning experiences for all PreK-12 educators, regardless of their experience as a PLTW teacher.

Among the PD Suite courses introduced this year:

• Beyond PBL: A Proven Learning Approach

• Differentiation: Building Classroom Confidence

• PLTW Foundational VEX IQ Robotics Training

• PLTW Foundational VEX V5 Training (Blocks or Python)

• PLTW Introduction to VEXcode IQ Training

• PLTW Launch Administrator Training

• PLTW Launch APB Approach Training

Survey Responses: PD Suite Courses

What I learned in [course] will make me more effective in my job

I know how I will use information from [course] in my role (e.g., teacher, principal)

I know where to access [...] resources if I need support applying [course] in my job

I think [course name] will have more impact on how I do my job than other professional development I have taken

93% 93%

*according to a survey of PLTW Core Training participants

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

NEEL MOUDGAL

Initially, Saline High School (Saline, MI) senior Neel Moudgal joined a PLTW Engineering course to learn the basic principles of engineering. While he had a strong theoretical understanding of physics, he wanted to learn more about the practical application of physics in engineering.

Neel’s passion for science and research led him to take on a project predicting RNA molecule structure. His groundbreaking research aimed to develop a model that could predict RNA structure accurately. Neel completed an extensive application for the Regeneron Science Talent Search, and he was selected and progressed through to the final round.

As a Regeneron finalist, Neel traveled to Washington, DC for the final competition. The intense three-day event included judging sessions where he faced a panel of renowned scientists who posed challenging questions. This part of the process tested his knowledge, confidence, and ability to think on his feet— skills Neel practiced in his PLTW coursework. Much to his surprise, Neel earned the first-place scholarship of $250,000. Neel plans to pursue his education at the University of Michigan, and he aims to be a physician scientist.

“I absolutely love research. I love being able to discover new things while also getting that human interaction and being able to research. You can make big discoveries and you can make big changes.”

We help today’s students discover and PREPARE FOR TOMORROW’S CAREERS.

The Policy and Government Relations Team has lobbied, advocated, and/ or engaged with policymaking and implementation in 30 states and at the federal level in 2023.

The team develops and is guided by a policy framework that supports the PLTW mission, pursues equity and inclusivity, is informed by research and best practice, and aligns with the objectives of the PLTW network. This work has contributed to policy changes in the following areas.

• Policies related to improving and increasing access to career learning

• Policies focused on student learning experiences that produce postsecondary career readiness aligned with high-wage, high-demand careers

• Policies that will result in student opportunities to engage with Computer Science in the core of their learning

OUR IMPACT

PLTW inspires the youngest learners to develop a love of science

81%

of PLTW Launch teachers agree that PreK-5 students are more engaged in science because of PLTW

*according to survey of PLTW Launch Teacher

• Additional professional development opportunities created by policies

• Curriculum that counts policies that increase the relevance and engagement of student learning experiences

• Policies that move states close to Pre-K for all students

OUR IMPACT

s

PLTW gives students the opportunity to explore STEM careers

92%

In a study of female high school students in PLTW, 76% indicated they believe they can become an engineer and 62% indicated PLTW has encouraged them to major in STEM in college.

PLTW Gateway teachers agree that students have a better understanding of STEM career paths and opportunities because of PLTW

*according to a survey of PLTW Gateway Teachers

Policy Framework for Exceptional Career Learning

• Curriculum that Counts

• Accountability for Skills

• Strive for Equity

• CS in the Core

• PreK for All

HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Relevance Access Excellence

• World Class PD

• Middle Grades Career Learning

• Sensible Credentialing and

In Summer 2023, 75 PLTW students gathered on the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) campus for the inaugural MSOE Explore Summit. A nomination-based event, the summer experience drew rising juniors and seniors from four states, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota, to experience MSOE’s eight engineering degree pathways in a week-long, immersive residential summer camp for future engineers.

The idea for the Explore Summit originally sparked from a conversation between MSOE’s President, Dr. John Walz, PLTW President and CEO Dr. David Dimmett, and PLTW Board Member Jim Rahn. It led to many collaborative months of planning between MSOE leadership and the PLTW Strategic Partnerships Team.

MSOE invited PLTW high school teachers from the Midwest to nominate historically underrepresented students to participate in the engineering summer camp at no cost, allowing the students to gain additional exposure to engineering and the university experience.

During the event, students spent half-days learning about MSOE’s eight engineering pathways through hands-on activities combined with real-world experiential learning led by university faculty. In addition to learning more about each of the fields, students met industry professionals and PLTW alumni.

“MSOE values the partnership we have with PLTW. More than 50 percent of our incoming freshmen have participated in Project Lead The Way, and this is another way in which the partnership between PLTW and MSOE continues to grow and thrive,” said MSOE President Dr. John Walz.

Our partners help us build the WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE.

PLTW’s diverse partnerships include Fortune 500 corporations, local businesses, foundations, nonprofits, and more, and partner organizations support PLTW in a variety of ways. We applaud these partners for their dedication to high-quality STEM and career learning.

PLTW Partners

3D Molecular Designs

3M

3PI Tech Solutions Inc.

AM/NS Calvert LLC

American Society of Anesthesiologists

Aramco Services Company

ArcelorMittal

Arconic Foundation

Ardagh Group

Arthur F Blanchard Trust (BNY Mellon, N.A., Co-Trustee)

Ascension

Atlas Holdings, LLC

Autodesk

Bayer Corporation

Beckman Coulter

Boeing Company

Boston Scientific

Burns & McDonnell

Capstone Partners, LP

Carolina Biological Supply Company

Caterpillar Foundation

Chevron U.S.A. Inc.

CME Group Foundation

Competitive Power Ventures, Inc

Cooperative Energy

Cripe

DENSO International America Inc.

Dow Company Foundation

Duke Energy Foundation

Edvotek

Electronix Express

Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc.

Entergy Charitable Foundation

EQT Foundation

General Electric

Granite Shore Power

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Hologic

Indiana Commission for Higher Education

Intelitek

Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council

J.M. Huber Corporation

John Deere Foundation

Kern Family Foundation

Lockheed Martin

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

Medtronic Foundation

Meta Platforms, Inc.

National Instruments

Nevada Department of Education

NextEra Energy Foundation

One8 Foundation

Parker Hannifin Corporation

Phillips 66

PPG Foundation

Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE)

Roche Corporation

SolidProfessor

Strada Education Network

Tesla

The Goizueta Foundation

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.

The Michael & Robin Lally Foundation

The Pentair Foundation

TotalEnergies

Toyota USA Foundation

Verizon Foundation

VEX Robotics

Vernier

Ward’s Science - Sargent Welch

Xcel Energy Foundation

Your Image Works

Zahourek Systems

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

PLTW

Transformative Partners

In February 2023, PLTW announced a new partnership with Phillips 66, which began with a $1 million investment in the PLTW Grants program. PLTW Grants supported by Phillips 66 have helped 72 schools in California, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington implement or expand the PLTW Gateway program.

In addition, the company offered its shareholders an opportunity to support PLTW by committing to donate $1 on behalf of each shareholder account that voted at its Annual Meeting. This voting incentive resulted in an additional $70,000 donation to PLTW.

“Phillips 66 is committed to investing in education equity because literacy and workforce preparedness are the foundation of individual achievement and the economic future. The empowerment PLTW provides to their students is critical to their success, and we’re proud to add even more support to the inspiring work they do.” said Phillips 66 Social Impact Manager Courtney Meadows

PLTW encourages students to persevere 83%

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

STEPHANIE HILL

Stephanie Hill is currently Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS), a more than $16 billion enterprise employing 35,000 people across the globe. The RMS portfolio includes more than 900 programs, including rotary-wing aircraft; integrated air and missile defense; littoral, undersea and electronic warfare; radar; cyber solutions; C4ISR; and training and logistics solutions. RMS supports the six service branches of the United States Armed Forces and the Missile Defense Agency, as well as intelligence, civil, commercial, and international military customers.

Since joining Lockheed Martin in 1987 as a software engineer, Stephanie has held several positions of increasing responsibility. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her professional accomplishments and her commitment to the advancement of STEM education. She was recognized among Savoy Magazine’s 2020 Most Influence Black Executives in Corporate America, Black Enterprise’s 2019 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America and Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders. She was also honored as the U.S. Black Engineer of the Year by Career Communications Group in 2014. Stephanie joined PLTW’s Board of Directors in February 2022.

“We have a critical need to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. I admire PLTW for their unwavering commitment and dedication to helping young people see the power and potential of STEM education. The learning experiences developed by PLTW have the ability to connect students to the STEM community and show them what they’re truly capable of achieving.” said Stephanie.