Sixteen regional representatives from the Northeast Indiana Foundation will travel to Texas later this month to learn about a program to help prepare students for high-wage jobs.

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-focused New Tech educational model originated in Napa, Calif., in 1996. Fort Wayne Community Schools has a New Tech program at Wayne High School.

The representatives will visit New Tech high schools in Dallas and Austin, Texas, Sept. 28-30 to learn about the STEM model, along with information for teachers on ways to create project-based learning environments.

Among those attending will be Talent Opportunity Success (TOpS) 2015 Initiative Director Leonard Helfrich. “(This) will provide northeast Indiana students with the education and a confidence level that will prepare them for success in high-wage careers,” Helfrich said in a news release.

The TOpS Initiative aims to create New Tech high schools with significant improvement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses, as well as professional development in project-based learning for teachers. TOpS 2015 has contributed funding for Wayne's program, and will contribute funding to help establish other New Tech high schools in the region in the coming years.

The mission of the Northeast Indiana Foundation is to support the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and its member counties in helping to create new business investment and high-quality jobs for the region.