Some Things to Know

1. When was the partnership formed among PLTW, TSA and SkillsUSA? During the past year, TSA discussed the possibility of a collaborative effort with PLTW. In November 2008 at the invitation of PLTW, national TSA submitted a proposal.   To best serve PLTW’s population, it was then decided that TSA and SkillsUSA should work on this effort jointly. The official partnership was formed late this spring.
2. Why was Engineering Alliance developed? Engineering Alliance was developed in response to requests from chapter advisors, as well as state career and technical education leaders, who saw the need for a program such as Engineering Alliance in conjunction with PLTW.  
3. What is the Engineering Alliance program?  Engineering Alliance consists of a limited number of competitions and leadership activities that align with the PLTW curriculum. The program will be provided from the national level of TSA and SkillsUSA. Engineering Alliance will not have a state-based component at this time.
4. When will Engineering Alliance be launched? Fall 2009.
5. How will Engineering Alliance be delivered? It will be accessible through a web-based format.
6. Will Engineering Alliance be mandatory for PLTW programs? No. However, PLTW will highly recommend that its associated schools participate in the Engineering Alliance program. 
7.  Are TSA and SkillsUSA merging? No.  TSA and SkillsUSA are simply partnering to provide Engineering Alliance for PLTW.
8. Is Engineering Alliance a new Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO)? No.
9. Will Engineering Alliance have student members? No. PLTW schools will pay a fee to offer the Engineering Alliance program to their students but the students are not “members.” 
10. Can TSA or SkillsUSA chapters participate in Engineering Alliance?  Only schools using the PLTW curriculum may participate in Engineering Alliance.  If a TSA or SkillsUSA chapter is in a PLTW school, the chapter may participate in both Engineering Alliance and in TSA and/or SkillsUSA by paying the applicable affiliation fees.
11. Can a PLTW school have both Engineering Alliance and a TSA or SkillsUSA chapter? Yes, schools participating in Engineering Alliance may also choose to have a TSA or SkillsUSA chapter. Many already do have chapters.
12. What will participation in Engineering Alliance cost? Each participating PLTW school will pay an annual fee of $300 to participate in the Engineering Alliance program. The fee will be evenly split between TSA and SkillsUSA. Fees will be used to develop and maintain the program.