One of the Kern Family Foundation's signature programs has become support for Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a highly regarded academically-rich, project-based introduction to the skills needed for careers in engineering and technology.  The curriculum aims to instill problem-solving, teamwork, communication and leadership skills in students as well as help them build the math, science and technology skills to prepare for and succeed in tomorrow's careers.
 
"To keep our economy globally competitive and maintain our standard of living, it is critical to have our students consider engineering and technical fields as career choices," said Robert Kern, the Kern Family Foundation's benefactor.
 
Since 2004, the Foundation has invested $10 million for PLTW program implementation at 367 public and private middle and high schools in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.
 
Project Lead the Way is truly a statewide initiative in Wisconsin, involving government agencies in education, workforce development and commerce, two- and four-year college and university systems, the business sector, the philanthropic sector and middle and high schools.

In Wisconsin, the Foundation's investment of more than $4 million has been supplemented with over $3.2 million in public and private funding, expanding the PLTW program to schools throughout the state.  The Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Harley-Davidson Foundation, and Rockwell Automation are among Project Lead the Way's private funding investment partners. 

The success of this public-private partnership was recognized in 2007 by the Public Policy Forum. Milwaukee Public Schools, a partnering district, was the recipient of the "private-public cooperation" innovation award for the district's adoption of PLTW.

The commitment of the Kern Family Foundation to spearhead Project Lead the Way has resulted in a collaborative effort to navigate a few of the challenges presented by a rapidly-changing global economy.