The History of Project Lead The Way

Richard Blais, now vice president of Project Lead The Way® (PLTW), first developed the idea of a pre-engineering curriculum in the 1980s when he was chairman of the technology education department of a school district in upstate New York. Blais, who began his career as a secondary school teacher and  has also worked as an engineer, recognized the need for a homegrown talent pool to meet the increasing demand for engineering professionals in the United States.

Working with the New York State Education Department and Hudson Valley Community College, Blais and his staff began a process of reviewing, developing, and testing a series of courses that incorporated the skills needed in engineering with the latest high-technology equipment and software. To garner support from leaders in education and industry, Blais established a Technology Advisory Board.

One board member was Richard Liebich, who is now chairman of the board and chief executive officer for PLTW. At the time, Liebich’s son was a middle school student fascinated by engineering. When Liebich discovered that his son’s school was relying on 20-year-old computers and outdated software to teach technology-related subjects, he helped lead the effort to move PLTW beyond the experimental stage and into area classrooms.

Liebich’s family had founded the Charitable Leadership Foundation (CLF), which promotes a performance-centered strategy of “high-engagement philanthropy” to effect change in the areas of education, housing, and health care for low-income populations. As CEO of the related Charitable Venture Foundation (CVF), Liebich fosters responsible entrepreneurship to address social and educational issues.

PLTW’s mission “to create dynamic partnerships with our nation’s schools to prepare an increasing and more diverse group of students to be successful in science, engineering, and engineering technology” was solidly in line with CVF’s vision. Under Liebich’s direction, PLTW secured an initial grant from CVF to help buy the equipment needed to build the program. Through this grant and ongoing funding from CLF and other donor organizations, PLTW grew to become an independent not-for-profit organization in 1997.

That year, PLTW launched its “Pathway To Engineering” program in 12 New York high schools. The program went national in 1998 with the addition of two New Hampshire high schools. Early on, PLTW partnered with the High Schools That Work initiative of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to include schools in 30 additional states. The first postsecondary PLTW partner was the Rochester Institute of Technology, which also became the program’s first national affiliate and hosted the first professional development Summer Training Institute for teachers.

Niel Tebbano, PLTW vice president, joined the leadership team in 2001 after a 32-year career in public education in upstate New York. Tebbano collaborates on all aspects of the organization, including curriculum and professional development, partnership relations, and marketing. He also administers PLTW’s business and sustainability plans.