Project Lead the Way fosters engineering and innovation
The national program, which has been providing students with classes, or modules, based on applied engineering skills, has been available to students since 1997. Classes have been provided in Ohio for more than a decade and, according to Stokey, PLTW has been part of Tuscarawas County schools' curriculum for six years.
Classes range from pre-med to robotics and can be part of the school's existing curriculum or stand alone classes. Each class teaches students different aspects of engineering, so that when they are ready to look at college options they are well informed. “It's sad,” Stokey said. “Many ask, ‘what's an engineer do? I don't want to drive a train.'”
As one of the proponents of PLTW, Stokey has worked hard to gather funds and statistical data for the program. Over the past six years, Allied Machine has donated more than $1 million to the program. “That's just what it takes to keep up,” he said. Students do more than just keep up, they create innovative new machines and display them at the annual Community Showcase.
One team at each grade level from each participating school district in Tuscarawas County pitches their product to a panel of local engineers who act as judges. Teams are judged on such criteria as product concepts, prototypes and presentation skills.
After scoring, the winning team is awarded bragging rights and a 4-foot high traveling trophy. “It moves around quite a bit,” Stokey said. Which shows good results for the time and money put into PLTW.
“It's our desire to stand in front of the community and say, ‘this is what you pay for,'” Stokey said of the showcase. “And it gives the kids an opportunity to show off.”
Any team that isn't a part of the competition is encouraged to set up their displays at the reception, which takes place before the competition presentations.
Stokey said that teams have presented ideas as diverse as bed-making machines, robot guided vehicles, automated assembly lines, marble sorters and traffic light switch logic for high congestion areas.
Whatever the projects, Stokey says the program is producing results. He said in previous years there were only two or three students per graduating class pursuing degrees in engineering. Now, although hard data is difficult to find, there are seven or eight students a year choosing that path.
This year's showcase will take place at Kent State University at Tuscarawas May 8. Student displays and a reception will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the student union. The showcase program will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
PLTW Ohio executive council member David Powell will also speak at the event.