Lilly Endowment Inc. Commits $5 Million to Increase Access to STEM Education for Hoosier Students

More schools across Indiana will have access to Project Lead The Way’s STEM-based curriculum and career learning

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Project Lead The Way (PLTW) today announced a three-year $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support STEM education at hundreds of elementary, middle and high schools across Indiana.

All Indiana schools are eligible to apply for funding from PLTW to offset costs associated with launching or expanding PLTW programs. The grants will help support teacher training in PLTW curriculum and the purchase of equipment and supplies. It will also provide the opportunity for PreK-12 teachers and administrators throughout the state to enroll in PLTW’s best-in-class professional development. The goal is to reach as many as 80,000 Indiana students and their teachers by 2028.

Based in Indianapolis, PLTW provides educators across the U.S. with resources, support and the confidence to help students develop STEM knowledge along with key skills like communication, collaboration, critical and creative thinking, ethical reasoning, and problem-solving. Throughout the PLTW curriculum, students explore STEM careers – one of the fastest-growing workforce sectors, preparing them for the jobs of the future. PLTW curriculum is included in the Indiana Department of Education’s high-quality curricular materials advisory list for K-5 Science, K-12 Computer Science, and 9-12 Engineering.

“Given the number of career opportunities in the life sciences and other STEM-related industry sectors that are available in communities across the state, it’s important that Indiana students have access to high-quality STEM education opportunities,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “Project Lead The Way’s programs are well respected and in great demand, and we are pleased to provide this support to help make these opportunities more available to schools statewide.”

“With this support from Lilly Endowment, we will serve more students across the state of Indiana and help prepare them with the knowledge and skills they need for success in school and in the future workforce,” said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO. “This commitment will also benefit Hoosier educators by providing them with research-based and relevant professional development, bringing hands-on learning to more Indiana classrooms. This investment will have an immediate impact by engaging students in all grade levels with real-world STEM education and career exploration.”

PLTW is currently in over 900 unique schools across Indiana with more than 1,200 active programs led by more than 6,000 teachers. Through this support from Lilly Endowment more students and educators will have access to PLTW programs and learning.

PLTW grant information can be found at https://www.pltw.org/plan-for-pltw/investment/funding-grants/grant-opportunities.

About PLTW

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) equips PreK-12 students for a STEM-driven world with teacher-empowered curriculum in computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more. For over 25 years, PLTW’s curriculum coupled with its best-in-class professional development has supported teachers in creating an environment to make every student STEM successful. As a national nonprofit organization, PLTW is proud to reach 2.5 million students in elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states. With over 100,000 trained teachers nationwide, PLTW brings relevant, hands-on learning to classrooms across the country. For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit pltw.org.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.