The Anderson School District Five Academy of Engineering, established in the spring of 2001, was the first Project Lead the Way site in the state of South Carolina. Since that time, the academy has grown from 85 students to well over 500 today. We have graduated several classes of future engineers. In the fall of 2006, the academy successfully completed the Project Lead the Way recertification process affording our qualified students the opportunity to receive college credit from any one of more than 25 colleges and universities across the nation.

Our district is a state leader in Project Lead the Way ongoing training. We have served as an ongoing training host site for upstate teachers. When not serving as a host site, we have been instrumental in organizing the ongoing training for all South Carolina Project Lead the Way teachers. Our district teachers regularly participate in Project Lead the Way professional development opportunities. Anderson School District Five employs three of the Project Lead the Way Master Teachers selected for the state of South Carolina.

The academy diligently explores new ways to attract a diverse group of students. In the spring of 2007, we launched a Biotechnical Engineering course. In the Fall of 2007, the academy partnered with the Health Sciences Technology department to field test the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences curriculum with the first course being Principles of Biomedical Sciences. Anderson School District Five is one of only five school in the state of South Carolina selected to field test this program. Currently, the academy is involved in a middle school program call It's a Girl Thing which introduces young ladies to the career fields in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering.

Every attempt is made to offer our students a broad spectrum of experiences. The students participate in field trips, job shadowing, service learning, and internships. The Vex robotics team allows students an opportunity to apply their knowledge and creativity. Many of our students are members of the National honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society.

Our Academy of Engineering is supported by a strong advisory board, parental involvement, and a district administration that keeps the best interest of our students first. We have received numerous contributions from our local businesses such as Electrolux-Westinghouse, Hexcel-Schwebel, Merl's Countertops, and Ryobi. Our students have benefitted from guest speakers and field trips provided by Fuji, Honeywell, Timken, Schneider Electric (Square D), Tri-County Technical College, and Clemson University.