The Kern Family Foundation

Kern Site Development Grant Announcement
(November 6, 2009 Application Deadline)

For further 2010 Kern Grant Application process details, visit the Kern Family Foundation Grant website at www.kern-pltw-application.org.

Kern Family Foundation Background
A private foundation in Waukesha, WI is inviting public and private schools to apply for funding to implement a program called Project Lead the Way (PLTW).  PLTW is a non-profit organization focused on preparing the future technical and engineering workforce in America.  PLTW offers a middle school “Gateway to Technology” curriculum and an eight-course high school curriculum.  Teacher training, project-based curriculum meeting national science and math standards, equipment specifications, software, post-secondary articulation and a comprehensive support structure make PLTW an excellent program.  Further, PLTW gets results.  In early data, 73% of students taking three or more high school PLTW courses entered post-secondary engineering or technical programs.  Of those students, 85% continued into their second year in their technical or engineering program.  This “persistence” rate is well above the 50% national average expected.

The network of PLTW schools has grown to over 2900 in 50 states and 2 foreign countries.  It is important to the Foundation trustees that students in the Midwest not get left behind.  The trustees believe the United States cannot stay competitive in the global marketplace without a well-trained technical workforce and citizenry.  Project Lead the Way is a response to this need.

The Foundation trustees recognize that resources are tight for all schools and school districts.  Therefore the Foundation may help high schools with up to $35,000 in grant funding, over three years, to establish a PLTW program.  Since the program sequence can be phased in, one course at a time, your school may want to consider becoming part of the PLTW network beginning in fall 2010 or fall 2011. The middle school curriculum, which is a series of several nine-week units, can be implemented as electives or as part of the required science or technology program.  The maximum grant for middle schools may be $25,000.  Districts with multiple high schools or high school/middle school combinations in PLTW have further grant award restrictions (see the grant application).

Small schools can apply to the foundation in a consortium – either as an independent group or in collaboration with a larger school or two-year college in order to provide a five-course sequence of PLTW.  These grant limits will be negotiated based on the number of courses offered and the number of schools involved.  There are many consortia models for small school implementation. 

In addition, all schools should consider involving local business partners early in conversations about PLTW in addition to coming to the foundation for funding.  Schools that demonstrate initiatives to bring local business or state leaders into their planning will ultimately be more successful in sustaining the PLTW program.