East Hardin Middle School Receives New Grant From Amaray

Will Fund New PROJECT LEAD THE WAY Program
to Prepare Students with In-Demand STEM Knowledge and Skills

Elizabethtown, Kentucky – East Hardin Middle School has announced that it is the recipient of a new, $20,000 grant from PROJECT LEAD THE WAY (PLTW) to implement the organisation’s premier career learning curriculum for its students.  PLTW is a nonprofit organisation that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the United States. Through PLTW’s pathways in engineering, computer science and biomedical science, K-12 students learn problem-solving strategies, critical and creative thinking, and how to communicate and collaborate.  Students engage in hands-on learning and explore activities, projects, and problems reflective of real-world scenarios and careers. East Hardin Middle School joins more than 8,000 schools across the U.S. in offering PLTW programs to its students.   

This new grant was made possible by a generous donation from Amaray based in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Jason Neagle, PLTW Teacher Hardin County Schools - Early College Career Center says “It is truly great to receive community support from Amaray here in Elizabethtown, to initiate the PLTW Engineering program at East Hardin Middle School. Amaray has shown support through corporate levels and tremendous support from the employees here in Elizabethtown who are matching in funds for what the company is donating to the PLTW program at East Hardin Middle School. It is a true investment and partnership in the STEM education of our students in Hardin County Schools.”

“Workplaces such as ours at Amaray and those across the manufacturing sector require a unique set of skills. Science, technology, engineering and math are where the jobs are today, and where more and more of the opportunities will be tomorrow.  The PLTW curriculum inspires students to seize these opportunities by embracing the very subjects, and pursuing the very careers, that will be the heart of our economy well into the future.” said Jim Sykes, CEO of Amaray.  “This new grant we are providing to East Hardin Middle School allows us at Amaray to enhance many young minds and help shape that future right here in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.”

Jim Sykes noted that this is a new model of corporate partnership, whereby Amaray’s contribution is more than a corporate donation.  It is fostering the direct engagement of Amaray leaders and associates in each aspect of the initiative.  These efforts include direct fundraising to help support the grant, creating unique hands-on learning opportunities via visits to the company’s facility, participating in school-wide events and the development of a soon-to-be-formed PLTW / Amaray School Partnership Team.  That Team will mentor students, liaise with local officials, identify professional development opportunities, and provide supplies for the classroom. 

Funds from the grant will be used specifically to start East Hardin Middle School’s PLTW Gateway program.  It will cover program expenses such as annual program fees, teacher professional development, and required classroom equipment and materials.

“PROJECT LEAD THE WAY is committed to providing a transformative educational experience that empowers students to prepare for and thrive in an evolving world,” said PLTW President and CEO Vince Bertram. “We are grateful for the truly unique corporate partnership demonstrated by Amaray. Their approach, which involves not only expanding access to PLTW programs in their community with monetary support, but also the engagement of company leaders and associates, sends a clear message. They are committed to career learning and to strengthening their local community. In so doing, they will help spur the creation of tomorrow’s innovators.”

For more information on PROJECT LEAD THE WAY, visit www.pltw.org or contact Jennifer Cahill, PLTW senior director of media and public relations, at [email protected] or Jason Neagle, PLTW Master Teacher for Hardin County Schools, at [email protected].

About PLTW
PROJECT LEAD THE WAY (PLTW) is a nonprofit organisation that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the U.S.  PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. More than 8,000 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs.   For more information on PROJECT LEAD THE WAY, visit www.pltw.org

About Amaray

Amaray is a highly automated, highly efficient plastic injection molding company, who, through versatility and extensive capabilities, design and manufacture new innovative products for major global consumer brands. Their continuous efforts in designing packaging that improves the customer experience and enhance sales surrounds their relentless pursuit to make good things better. Running in tandem to innovative product development is Amaray’s superior manufacturing capabilities, where lean manufacturing and integration of automation is key to it being able to mass-produce on such a large scale. With a history of innovation and a reputation of excellence Amaray continually exceed customers’ requirements through an advanced approach to moulding technology and plastic manufacturing. For further information on Amaray, visit www.amaray.com