One of the community's corporate leaders, 3M, has given the Brookings School District $25,000 to fund an innovative new pre-engineering program at Brookings High School called Project Lead The Way. The program uses project-based learning in which stu dents engage in real-world projects while discovering how classroom skills apply to everyday life. Project Lead The Way focuses on students' education in science , technology, engineering and math but it puts that training to use as the students learn real skills, solve real problems and make real-world discoveries. Through hands-on activities, students design and build projects as well as learn about drafting and graphic design on the computer. The gift by 3M will help fund teacher training and provide the computer software for classroom work. Shown accepting the 3M check are Superintendent Roger DeGroot (left) and Brookings High School Principal Paul von Fischer (center). Mark Shoup, manufacturing engineering manager at 3M, made the presentation .