Middle school and high school students in the Syracuse City School District will have the opportunity to improve their science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills due to a recent grant from the Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Lockheed Martin has awarded the SCSD $315,000 to continue the Project Lead the Way program at 14 schools in the district, said William Ottman, field coordinator for science and technology for the district.

The Project Lead the Way program provides innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics education curricular programs to middle and high schools across the United States, according to its website. The program is aimed at sparking an interest in engineering at the college level.

The schools will use the money from the grant to upgrade computer labs and purchase equipment such as laptops, printers, projectors and expenses for professional training for the Project Lead the Way program, Ottman said.

“The money that Lockheed Martin has provided us will allow us to have a high-quality science and technology program throughout the district,” Ottman said. “Everyone involved is very excited.”

The district received the first part of the grant last summer. It will continue to be distributed to the middle schools through two years and the high schools through three years, Ottman said.

The money allotted during the summer was used to purchase laptops for teachers in the program and classroom supplies. Teachers in the program attended a two-week training program at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The district also hired five new teachers, he said.

“Children discover their interests early on and sparking interests in things like engineering and technology in young students could strengthen our future workforce in these fields,” Ottman said.

Corporations such as Lockheed Martin need highly qualified employees, and by investing in children, the company is investing in some of its potential employees, he said.

Lockheed Martin has been a longtime supporter of strengthening the science, math, engineering and technology curriculums at schools, said Emily Simone, Lockheed Martin’s director of global community outreach. Introducing students to these subjects is an important factor in ensuring America is able to meet the future demand for highly skilled and highly technical workers, she said.

“We know how important it is to educate children in math and science,” Simone said. “A generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians are reaching retirement age and there’s a need for a steady pipeline of young talent to replace these important technology positions. Essentially, our future technological advantage in the United States relies on the quality of education that young students are receiving now.”

Published on February 12, 2013 at 11:17 pm

Contact Alexandra: adhitzle@syr.edu | @LexieHitzler