Next year, South will join thousands of high schools across the country in installing Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a national movement to involve American students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). For the 2013-2014 school year, South will add two new courses: Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering, before potentially adding six new courses the following year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, the fastest growing career fields in the U.S. are STEM-related, increasing annually at about 21.4 percent. For this reason, the Oracle Editorial Board strongly encourages students at South to take full advantage of the PLTW movement coming to our school next year and applauds the district for electing to participate.

Nationally, STEM is crucial for the U.S.’s survival in global competition. In 2011, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCFES) conducted the International Mathematics and Science Study, testing students in more than 60 countries in math and science proficiency. While the U.S. did not rank particularly low (ninth place in eighth grade math, tenth place in eighth grade science), PLTW aims to push the U.S. higher into the rankings of a competitive STEM world.

Additionally, while 46.7 percent of Chinese university students graduate with STEM degrees, only 5.6 percent of Americans do, according to lessoncast.org. According to NCFES, with only six in one hundred American high school students choosing to pursue a degree in STEM, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with emerging careers that require STEM preparation.

The Editorial Board hopes students will take full advantage of South’s PLTW opportunities, as there are numerous advantages to joining the program. In an economy where the unemployment rate reached 7.9 percent in January 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, joining PLTW in high school can set students up to enter the job market easily post-college.

PLTW also gives real students invaluable real-world experience that will prepare them for STEM-related careers. Even students who feel they lack an affinity for math or science may find that the creative, design aspect of STEM appealing.

Lastly, by taking PLTW classes, South students will make America stronger, not just globally, but also domestically. In the 2013 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called for opportunities in high school to “better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy.” The Editorial Board is proud that South will be helping to make that happen.