Soon EWU will offer faculty and pre-service teachers studying education and science education a new type of training experience. Eastern is partnering with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) to provide transformative learning experiences for PreK-5 students and teachers.
The PLTW Launch program creates an engaging, hands-on classroom environment and empowers students to develop the in-demand knowledge and skills they need to thrive. PLTW says that as students engage in computer science, engineering and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge. Their training provides teachers with the resources and support they need to engage students in real-world training.
The partnership between Project Lead the Way and EWU’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics will start with faculty training in February 2020. EWU will then offer a pilot course during the summer of 2020 for pre-service teachers in education and science education majors. Eastern students who complete the training will earn their PLTW Launch certification.
“The PLTW mission aligns perfectly with Eastern’s mission,” says Leslie Cornick, the associate dean of the EWU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. “A mission to expand opportunities for personal transformation through excellence in learning.”
Cornick also says this new partnership will help recruit future educators to the university while also developing the elementary school teacher pipeline in the state of Washington with teachers who are STEM-literate and PLTW Launch certified. Eastern will also be the first PLTW Launch pre-service program on the West Coast.
