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NACME Joins NAF & PLTW in Academy of Engineering Initiative
“There are two crises in our schools that these Academies will help to address," said NAF President JD Hoye. ”They will encourage students, especially minority kids in inner-city schools, to focus on their future careers. At the same time, this initiative addresses the acute shortage of engineers available to America’s employers.”
“NACME is concerned about America’s place in the competitive global environment that this nation finds itself in relative to innovation and technology, and we are convinced that meeting the increased demand for engineering talent and improving America’s competitive position can only occur if all of our talents have an opportunity to be developed,” says John Brooks Slaughter, NACME’s president and CEO.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, two of the five fastest-growing occupations in the next five years will be related to engineering. However, the supply of engineering professionals has failed to meet market demands and an acute shortage of qualified engineers is of mounting concern within the business community.
Plans call for the first NAF Academies of Engineering to open in 2008. A year of planning prior to opening begins in September of 2007. The initial 13 pilot sites will be located at the following high schools and cities:
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Construction Trades, Engineering & Architecture – New York, NY |
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Frederick Douglass High School - Atlanta, GA |
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AJ Moore Academy - Waco, TX |
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H. Grady Spruce High School - Dallas, TX |
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East High School on Arcadia - Columbus, OH |
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University High School - Los Angeles, CA |
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EDT Academy Morse High School - San Diego, CA |
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Patrick Henry High School - San Diego, CA |
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James Madison High School - San Diego, CA |
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Porterville Charter Academy - Strathmore, CA |
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Burton High School - San Francisco, CA |
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Northwest Career and Technical Academy - Las Vegas, NV |
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Evergreen High School - Burien, WA |
The Academies of Engineering are designed for 9th-12th graders and are built on a solid academic foundation that adheres to national and state standards in mathematics, science, technology, communications and social studies. Courses are taught around a broad technical core-curriculum, which prepares students to pursue post-secondary engineering and engineering technology degree programs. The Academies will also ready students for other post-secondary studies that require a strong foundation in engineering, math, science and language arts.
A key focus of the Academies of Engineering will be to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the study of engineering. “Engaging students in NAF’s career-themed Academies is a proven way to increase high school graduation rates and encourage high school students to continue on to college," noted Hoye. "The combined expertise of the National Academy Foundation. Project Lead The Way and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering provides a solid and competent engineering program that will quickly address the need for quality and diversity in the field of engineering,” she said.
NAF’s model of career-themed academies has a 25-year history of success, with national career academies established in the areas of finance, hospitality and tourism, and information technology. Through this model, corporations provide paid internships, classroom volunteering, mentoring and serving on local advisory boards. The NAF curriculum contains essential content based on industry and educational expertise.
PLTW will provide curriculum expertise focused on making math and science relevant for students by engaging in hands-on real world projects.
NACME will bring its national network of corporations, universities, community colleges and other partners with local community presence to the Academies of Engineering, providing scholarships and support for students, parents, teachers and the community.
For more information about the National Academy Foundation, visit www.naf.org
For more information about Project Lead The Way, visit www.pltw.org
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