This summer, the University of South Carolina’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program will train more than 450 educators to better teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses across the country. Teachers from across the United States will travel to Columbia to complete their training from June 6 through August 5.

 PLTW is a leading provider of STEM education curriculum, and the USC College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) is the organization’s official partner in South Carolina. More than 266 active programs exist in elementary, middle and high schools in the state. PLTW high school students can earn college credit for engineering courses taken in high school.

PLTW will offer 33 courses this summer. The teachers will undergo training in areas such as computer science, biomedical science, engineering, PLTW Gateway (middle school teacher training) and PLTW Launch (elementary lead teacher training). Courses are taught by Master Teachers appointed by PLTW.

 “The goal of PLTW is to engage students in science, technology, engineering and math and equip them with the skills needed for a brighter future,” said affiliate director, Krystal DuBose. “PLTW uses a hands-on, project-based approach to solve open-ended problems in a real world context. We hope these courses spark a love of learning in young students which will drive them to study STEM courses in college.”

For students who do not plan to pursue engineering and computing after high school, PLTW provides opportunities to develop transferrable skills in critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving, which are relevant for any career.