Waltham Public Schools Receives $70K Grant

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham Public Schools was awarded a $70,000 grant to go toward high-quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs, the Waltham Superintendent announced today.

The grant comes from Project Lead The Way, an educational nonprofit promoting computer science, engineering and biomedical science in schools.

Waltham High School is just one of 73 schools across the commonwealth to receive the grant, which is
supported by the Administration of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, the
One8 Foundation, and Mass STEM Hub.

“It is essential that we engage our students throughout their K-12 school years with hands-on lessons in
science, engineering, computer science, technology and math,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito in a press release.

Waltham Public Schools will use grant funds to start new Project Lead The Way programs in biomedical sciences and engineering. Funds from the grant will also support teacher professional development and the purchase of materials and equipment that will be used in the hands-on, activity-, project-, and problem-based courses.

More than 10,500 schools across the country offer Project Lead The Way programs to millions of students.

In the fall of 2016 the Waltham Public Schools developed an educational plan for the new high school, through a collaborative and democratic process with 30-40 stakeholders that highlighted science tech, engineering and math elements.

"To me, our education plan is a contract with the community and outlines what WPS must deliver educationally so that all of our students have opportunities to study new fields that are of interest to them while also better preparing them for the demands of college, career, and community," said Superintendent of Waltham Schools Drew Echelson.

Next year, the district will offer courses in biomedical sciences and engineering and the superintendent said the plan is to extend those courses over the next several years.

"I also hope we will offer more courses in computer science and cybersecruity in the near future as a result of this partnership with Project Lead The Way," he said in a statement.

Echelson attributed Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy's work advocating for more STEM pathways as what helped it become part of the education plan.

More About Project Lead The Way

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the U.S. It works to empower students to develop in- demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources are geared with the goal of supporting teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. More than 10,500 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs. For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit pltw.org.

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Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch