Beigh first learned about Project Lead the Way two years ago at a conference. Next year's course is Digital Electronics for sophomores. But Beigh wants to start identifying at least l0 business partners for Portage students now. We need engineering companies to come into the classroom and to encourage students to job shadow or enter into internships. In their senior year, students will develop an engineering project working with an engineer, he said.
Prospective companies range from architectural to electrical to manufacturing engineering firms.
This summer, four teachers from Portage will be training at the Rochester Institute. These include Tim Somers, who is teaching this school year's course, Beigh, who will be teaching next year's electronics course, and John Kappes, another instructor. Also attending will be Deb Seeley, who will lead the Gateway to Technology course for eighth graders at Fegley next year. But things are changing so fast, that to do our jobs as teachers, we're required to be trained prior to every course. However, it is likely that Midwest engineering schools will train Project Lead the Way schools.