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BETHLEHEM, PA (February 5, 2021) – STEM education is at the heart of today’s high-tech, high- skill global economy. A program in the Bethlehem Area School District is giving students hands-on experience, with support from State Farm.
State Farm has awarded $7,500 in funding to The Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District to support the Project Lead the Way Engineering program at Liberty High School. Project Lead the Way exposes students to areas of study that they currently do not have an opportunity to pursue, and provides them with a foundation and proven pathway to college and career success.
The Project Lead the Way Engineering program is a sequence of courses which follows a proven, hands on, real world problem solving approach to learning. Students learn and apply the design process, acquire strong teamwork and communication proficiency, and develop organizational, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. They explore aerodynamics, astronautics, and space life sciences. Students apply biological and engineering concepts related to biomechanics. They design, test, and construct circuits and devices such as smart phones and tablets working collaboratively on a culminating capstone project. It’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, and it’s at the heart of today’s high tech, high skill global economy.
“Project Lead The Way provides opportunities for students to foster creative and innovative thinking, explore the many facets of engineering, experience the process of bringing their ideas to life which includes failure and re-design, and build their repertoire of technical skills and soft skills,” said Kristin Stuby, Project Lead the Way teacher at Liberty High School.
The program’s goal is to provide STEM curriculum for high school students while engaging a network of community leaders, university affiliate and industry partners in STEM partnerships. STEM education is at the heart of today’s high-tech, high-skill global economy. While preparing students for a global economy, Project Lead the Way allows them to explore engineering prior to determining their career and college pathways.
“At State Farm, we make it our business to be a good neighbor supporting the communities where we live and work, each and every day,” said Elliot Tracey, a Bethlehem agent for State Farm who has long supported the efforts of the Foundation and BASD. “We are proud to partner with The Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District to support the Project Lead the Way Engineering program at Liberty High School. This program provides students with career pathway tools to build safer, stronger and educated communities, so we all benefit, which is the goal of State Farm’s Good Neighbor Citizenship Grant.”
About The Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District
Created to strengthen, enhance and enrich the educational experiences for the students of the Bethlehem Area School District, The Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District was established in 1999 under the name of Bethlehem Area Education Foundation. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees made up of members of the community working in concert with, but independent of, the Bethlehem Area School District. The Foundation’s focus has been helping educators deliver innovative teaching to students inside and outside the classroom. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Foundation raises funds through tax-deductible contributions to fund programs, projects and initiatives which support their mission. The Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District’s mission is to enhance learning opportunities for all students of the Bethlehem Area School District, create family and community partnerships, and support academic innovation.
For more information, visit our website: https://basdwpweb.beth.k12.pa.us/thefoundation/
Information provided to TVL by:
Barbara Clymer
Assistant to the Superintendent for Communications
Bethlehem Area School District
1516 Sycamore Street
Bethlehem, PA 18017
