Mt. Zion Middle School and Villa Rica Middle School have been awarded $20,000 from Verizon to implement the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) computer science program. PLTW is designed to engage middle school students in computational thinking and prepare them for career opportunities in one of the fastest growing career fields. PLTW is the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, Mt. Zion Middle School and Villa Rica Middle School will join more than 6,500 schools across the U.S. in offering rigorous, high­quality STEM programs to students in grades K­12. Mt. Zion Middle School and Villa Rica Middle School will implement two nine­week long foundational courses: Introduction to Computer Science I and Introduction to Computer Science II.

The PLTW/Verizon grant was co­written by two teachers from each school. The four teachers will attend training over the course of the school year to ensure a successful transition to the PLTW program. Funds from the grant will be used for professional development and to purchase new technology to accompany the computer science courses.

PLTW is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the nation’s leading provider of K­12 STEM programs. PLTW’s world­class, activity­based, project­based, and problem­based curriculum and high­quality teacher professional development model, combined with an engaged network of educators and corporate partners, help students develop the skills needed to succeed in our global economy.