Project Lead the Way

Project Lead the Way is a national curriculum that offers a Teacher-Empowered Curriculum for a STEM Driven World for elementary, middle, and high school students. PLTW describes its curriculum as activity-project and problem-based (APB) instruction which helps students understand how the knowledge and skills they develop in the classroom may be applied in everyday life. Through their classes, students are exposed to areas of study like engineering and biomedical sciences which provide them with a strong foundation to enter the STEM Field, whether it be college, workforce, or other training program.

PLTW - Capstone Season Events

Timeline

Announcement of Scholarship Competition and Challenges - September 2, 2025
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Kick Off Event - October 14, 2025

Our in-person annual kick-off event offers students the opportunity to network with industry and academia mentors, receive feedback on their capstone projects from experts, participate in a breakout session focused on best practices for applying for summer internships, and more. Teachers can register their classes starting August 15th HERE.

Capstone Project Feedback Session - February 24, 2026

This virtual feedback session is set for students to virtually pitch their project to mentors from industry and academia to receive feedback on their project. If you have reached a roadblock in your project path or if you simply would like to practice pitching your ideas, this is your time. 
Advanced registration will be required and will open on December 8th.

Z-Fairs Q&A Session - April 7, 2026

Come to this virtual event to get all your last-minute questions answered on navigating the Z-Fairs system. Meeting link will be shared closer to the event.

Submission Deadline - April 12, 2026

FINAL DAY TO SUBMIT Project for Scholarship Consideration. This is your final day to submit your project, study, essay, or internship reflection into Z-Fairs to be considered for a scholarship. Must be submitted by 11:59 pm SUBMIT HERE.

Senior Showcase - April 24, 2026

This annual event takes place during the last week of April each year to celebrate graduating PLTW students. It is an opportunity for students to present their capstone project to the public including their peers, friends, family, educators, business and community members. Scholarships and awards will be announced. 

Scholarship Competitions for the 2025-2026 School Year

St. Louis Metropolitan PLTW high school juniors or seniors enrolled in the Captone, Biomedical Innovation, Engineering Design and Development, or Cybersecurity class are eligible to submit their capstone project in our scholarship competition via Z-fairs. 

PLTW Experience or Internship Experience scholarships are available to high school SENIOR STUDENTS ONLY, and may enter their PLTW reflection essay or video, or their internship reflection into Z-Fairs. 

The deadline for all scholarship submissions is Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 11:59 pm in Z-Fairs. Access Scholarship Categories, requirements, and rubric.

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are looking for volunteers to be guest speakers, virtual or in-person, mentors for high school students or classrooms, participate in programmatic events, judge the scholarship competition, and offer job shadowing or site visits. Sign up at bit.ly/BioSTLvol.