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Date: 2/15/2018
EAST LONGMEADOW – Last week Reminder Publications reported that both the East Longmeadow High School and Mapleshade Elementary School had applied for the Project Lead the Way grant. This grant gives schools the ability to create and or expand STEM programming. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. On Feb. 13, State Sen. Eric Lesser announced that both Mapleshade and the East Longmeadow High School as well as Springfield’s Baystate Academy Charter Public School have received the grant.
At the Jan. 22 School Committee meeting Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Valerie Annear told the committee that this creates pathways in engineering, environmental studies and in bioengineering as well as a “launch program” at the elementary level.
Annear explained that not many schools in Western Massachusetts have received the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) grant, with most located in Central and Eastern Massachusetts.
At the check presentation, Mapleshade Principal Michael Fredette accepted the award for his school. Mapleshade Elementary now has $12,500 to create an elementary level STEM course that will offer students the opportunity to learn of these types of fields at an earlier age.
East Longmeadow High School was awarded $35,000, which will go toward an engineering course at the High School. At the Jan. 22 meeting, Annear stated that should the school receive the grant she was hopeful this would be the first course in a “three-course pathway for students to further go into engineering courses and content.” The specific title of the newly available course will be introduction to engineering and design.
“East Longmeadow Public Schools is excited to be a PLTW grant recipient. This is a wonderful opportunity to expand our science and engineering curriculum at Mapleshade Elementary and East Longmeadow High School,” Annear commented.
As Chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, Lesser offered his thoughts on the grant and bringing more science and engineering programming to Western Massachusetts.
“Despite our state’s leadership in high-tech manufacturing, our state and Western Massachusetts in particular are not producing enough skilled workers to fill available jobs. Training our young people for the jobs of the future is about protecting our communities’ economic security. Vocational training programs in Western Massachusetts are showing great success, and these grants will help them continue to improve and serve as models for the state and region,” Lesser said.