Advanced Technological Education .

Welcome to the ATE Central Connection! Published the first Tuesday of each month, the ATE Central Connection is meant to disseminate information to and about ATE centers and projects, providing you with up-to-date ATE news, events, reminders, as well as highlighting new centers, projects, and resources. In addition, we will also highlight an educational topic with complementary resources found within ATE Central to help illustrate how ATE resources can be used in the classroom.

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In This Issue

Featured Resources: Agricultural and Environmental Technologies

From Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center:

Cleanup!: A Hazardous Waste Cleanup Design Exercise

web.mit.edu/esp1/www/index.htm

"Cleanup!: A Hazardous Waste Cleanup Design Exercise" is a free, online instructional module that provides an interactive learning experience for students interested in the field of hazardous waste management. The module is designed to be used by instructors in community colleges, technical schools, and universities who teach courses related to environmental technology, engineering, and science.

The module consists of four parts: an introduction, a scenario, a design exercise, and an assessment. In the scenario, students are presented with a hazardous waste site that requires cleanup. Using the design exercise, students work in groups to develop a remediation plan, considering factors such as site characterization, risk assessment, cleanup goals, and cleanup technologies. The assessment section includes a quiz to test students' understanding of the concepts covered in the module. The module is intended to help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills related to hazardous waste management and environmental remediation.

From Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center :

Technology and Environmental Decision-Making Series: Environmental Decision-Making

ourearthcenter.org/ateec-definings/environmental-decision-making-2003-2015/

This 60-page Environmental Decision-Making module is provided by the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC) and is part of the Technology and Environmental Decision-Making series. This module serves as an instructor resource for exploring the factors that go into decisions on environmental issues and for examining how environmental decisions are developed within a range of contexts in the United States. The goal of this module "is to help instructors of environmental technology, natural science, social science, and other disciplines understand the social, economic, and political contexts as well as the scientific and technological dimensions of environmental issues." Other modules in the Environmental Decision-Making Series are available to view separately.

From Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center:

Future of Water Infrastructure and Innovation Summit Workshop

ateec.org/news/future-of-water-workshop-report

This 41-page pdf report, published by the United States Department of Energy, highlights the findings from the Future of Water Infrastructure and Innovation Summit. The organizers gathered information from a diverse group of relevant water and wastewater stakeholders representing academia, industry, government, nongovernmental organizations, and local/regional utilities. The report covers physical infrastructure and technology and the innovation ecosystem.

The report provides a summary of the discussions that took place at the summit. A list of acronyms, a table of contents, and an executive summary are provided. The Executive Summary outlines participants' recommendations and priority innovation ecosystem opportunities. The report then explores the current state of physical infrastructure and technologies, which includes issues such as desalination and hydropower. Finally, the report considers the innovation ecosystem for regional water planning, technology commercialization, and workforce development.

Community Connection

Support for Women and STEM Recruiting Efforts

ATE Central's latest Impacts blog post highlights the collaboration between the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology & Science (IWITTS) and educational institutions to enhance recruiting efforts and increase student enrollment, particularly for women in STEM fields.

The post shares the success story of Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), which experienced a significant increase in both female and male enrollment in their Cybersecurity program after implementing strategies recommended by IWITTS. A key factor in FTCC's success was the formation of a leadership team comprising key stakeholders from the Cybersecurity program, who developed a recruitment plan with specific goals and activities. One effective strategy employed by the team was organizing a female-focused career event on Women & Cybersecurity, which featured female role models in the field and encouraged prospective students to register for introductory courses.

ATE projects and centers are encouraged to consider engaging key stakeholders and creating female-focused recruitment events to improve their own recruiting efforts. Do you have any successful strategies or questions for IWITTS or ATE Central about recruitment for women in STEM? Please share your ideas, comments, or questions at info@atecentral.net. More information on IWITTs can be found at www.iwitts.org.

ATE Success Tips: Social Media

Starting on Social Media

How many social media channels does your project or center manage? Different platforms require different strategies. If you haven't done so already, make a plan for each social media channel to really home in on a strategy. Some useful tips for getting started are:

  • Don't jump in blindly. When creating a social media strategy, try to stay on target with what you want your overall message to be and stick to it.
  • Your social media plan should consist of smaller mini plans for each social media channel you want to be active on.
  • Stick to just a few social media sites if you're just getting started.

For more on social media strategies, Sprout Social's step-by-step guide for creating a social media marketing strategy.

Did You Know?

Iowa has given $4 million to its community colleges to help prepare students for jobs in high-demand industries such as healthcare, information technology, and advanced manufacturing. The funding will be used to create new programs, expand existing ones, and purchase equipment and technology needed for training. The aim is to better align education and workforce needs to help close the skills gap in the state.

Select STEM Education Resources

A few online STEM resources from outside of ATE, that you may find of interest:

PBS Teachers: STEM Education Resources

www.pbslearningmedia.org

More organizations are getting involved with STEM education, and the people at PBS have created this one-stop resource center for educators seeking to "explore new ideas and new worlds related to science." This site contains over 4,000 STEM-related resources drawn from a range of PBS programs, including NOVA, Nature, and Cyberchase. On the right-hand side of the homepage, visitors will find seven sections, including "Math Resources", "Engineering Resources", and "Free Webinars". In each of the STEM-focused sections visitors will find a selection of basic resources, along with a search engine. In the "Free Webinars" area, visitors can view current and archived webinars that deal with copyright and fair use in the classroom, high school STEM resource development, and teaching about Earth Day. The site is rounded out by the "Additional Resources" area which features links to related groups, such as the National Science Teachers Association.

Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education

cadrek12.org

STEM educators, administrators, and others with an interest in STEM education research may want to check out the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education, or CADRE for short. Describing itself as "a network for STEM education researchers," CADRE is a project led by the nonprofit Education Development Center to support researchers funded through the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program. Here, CADRE shares the findings, publications, and output materials created by hundreds of DRK-12 research projects on various aspects of STEM education, as well as resources for early career researchers and prospective grantees, creating a wealth of valuable content. Visitors may like to begin by looking through the Projects, which can be filtered and browsed by target audience (e.g. informal educators, preservice teachers), products (e.g. curriculum, database), project focus (e.g. mathematics, accessibility), and project type (e.g. qualitative, case study). Additionally, the Early Career section provides a collection of resources on topics like writing for publication and building professional networks, while the Resources section offers helpful toolkits on writing NSF proposals, project management, and disseminating research, as well as a large collection of spotlights on various STEM topics.

Girls in STEM Toolkit

www.thegist.edu.au/media/1534/gist_classroom_strategies_booklet_web.pdf

In Australia, STEM-skilled jobs are growing faster than any other sector. Yet, women make up a disproportionately small number of those in STEM education and STEM jobs. Closing gender-based gaps in STEM careers is of global importance. Readers from around the world can enjoy the Girls in STEM Toolkit (GiST) report's contents thanks to its availability under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 International license. Relying on five years of data on STEM education specific to women and girls, the report highlights ways educators can address inequities. Each of the report's seven ideas, which range from creating engaging and interactive classrooms to ensuring access to diverse role models, is followed by a list of "classroom strategies" to ease implementation. The report was authored by Rebecca Vivian (University of Adelaide), Leanne Robertson (Education Services Australia), and Martin Richards (Education Services Australia) and guided by Melanie Isaacs's work in The GiST's Seven principles for a gender-inclusive learning environment. It was made possible with financial support from Education Services Australia (in collaboration with The University of Adelaide).

Do you have some great STEM resources you'd like to share with ATE Central? Email us with your ideas at info@atecentral.net.

ATE Events

Upcoming Events
– Info 2023 NICE Conference Seattle, WA
– Bio/Chem BIO International Convention Boston, MA
– Mfg Weld-Ed Summer Training: NDT Chattanooga, TN
– Nano University of Minnesota: Micro Nanotechnology Health and Safety Course 2023 Minneapolis, MN
– Gen NSF Virtual Grants Conference Online
– Eng BEST Center BAS Workshop XII Omaha, NE
– Eng Auto Tech: Detroit Novi, MI
– Eng 7th Annual Energy Drone & Robotics Summit The Woodlands, TX
– Info GenCyber Student Academy Prestonsburg, KY
– Bio/Chem Immersive Learning Bootcamp St Cloud, MN
– Info (ISC)2 CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional Online
– Mfg Weld-Ed Summer Training: Joining and Cutting Processes East Peoria, IL
– Eng AIAA Aviation Forum San Diego, CA
– Mfg Intelligent Robotics Workshop Bessemer, AL
– Gen Mentor Up Workshop Online
– Nano Nanotechnology Hands-On-Site Workshop University Park, PA
Gen Best Practices for the Design, Delivery, and Student Success When Teaching Online Courses Online
– Mfg Weld-Ed Summer Training: Joining and Cutting Processes Wahpeton, ND
– Bio/Chem CT-CAMP Wilmington, NC
– Eng MATE ROV Competition 2023 Longmont, CO
– Info GIS Workshop: Visualizing and Analyzing Health Data Online
– Eng Teaching Rough Vacuum Technology Bloomington, MN
Gen How to Create an Effective Plan for Increasing Female Enrollment in STEM Career Pathways , California
– Eng South Dakota Statewide Geospatial Conference Mitchell, SD
– Mfg 2023 Summer Teachers’ Workshop Online
– Ag/Env Midwest Renewable Energy Association Energy Fair Custer, WI
– Eng ASEE Annual Conference Baltimore, MD
– Eng 2023 National Advocacy Conference Washington, DC
– Bio/Chem The Future of the Bioscience Workforce Washington, DC
– Ag/Env 2023 ASEV National Conference Napa, CA
– Mfg NOVA Digital Fabrication Summer Camp Manassas, VA
– Mfg STEM Guitar Summer 2023 Instructional Event Bethlehem, PA
– Bio/Chem Envisioning the Next Bioscience Workforce: A Summit of Industry, Academic, and Government Leaders Washtington, DC
– Mfg The Hybrid Electronics Commercialization Path for Aerospace Applications Renton, WA
– Ag/Env 2023 NC STEM Educator Energy Institute Pittsboro, NC
– Mfg The FHE Commercialization Path for Aerospace Applications Renton, WA
Gen Evaluation Essentials for Non-Evaluators: Understanding the Basics and Benefits of Evaluation Online
– Ag/Env Cultivate Conference 2023 Fargo, ND
– Nano Arduino Microcontroller Course – 2-Day Workshop Ottumwa, IA
Nano How to Utilize AR/VR and Distance Education for Microelectronics, Nanotechnology, Semiconductor Tech Online
– Info CISM: Certified Information Security Manager Online
– Bio/Chem C-TEACH Academy Wilmington, NC
Gen Recognizing and Reducing Implicit Bias in the Classroom Online
– Ag/Env 7th Annual Wisconsin STEM Educator Solar Institute Madison, WI
Eng Women Leadership in Marine Technology and Science: Women Retention in STEM Webinar Online
– Bio/Chem 2023 BIOTECH Pathways: Teaching Academy Bel Air, MD
– Mfg ASE Education Foundation Annual Conference Concord, NC
– Gen Equity & Excellence: Access in Higher Education Conference Portland, OR
– Info Faculty Development Academy: Cybersecurity and Programming for IoT Technicians Online
– Info Certified Ethical Hacker Online
– Gen Power of Us Camp Durham, NC
– Ag/Env Delaware STEM Educator Institute Dover, DE
– Gen HI-TEC 2023 Atlanta, GA
– Mfg STEM Guitar Instructional Event Bethlehem, PA
– Info Faculty Development Academy: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies Online
– Ag/Env CASE Institute Technical Applications in Agriculture (TAA) Staples, MN
– Nano NNCI Nano + Additive Manufacturing Summit Louisville, KY
– Mfg NOVA Digital Fabrication Summer Camp Manassas, VA
– Bio/Chem BIOTECH Pathways: Summer Institute 2023 Bel Air, MD
– Mfg Weld-Ed Summer Training: Joining and Cutting Processes Marysville, CA
– Info Cybersecurity Across Disciplines Conference 2023 Palos Hills, IL
– Ag/Env 2023 Wisconsin Solar Plus Storage Institute Madison, WI
– Mfg MTTIA Conference Brainerd, MN
– Gen NSF's 2023 Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES National Network Convening Washington, DC
– Ag/Env ESA 2023 Annual Meeting Portland, OR
– Nano Nanotechnology Hands-On-Site Workshop University Park, PA
– Bio/Chem Antibody Engineering Hackathon August 2023 Online
– Mfg 2MTEC Conference 2023 Moorhead, MN
– Info CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional Online
– Info 31st International Cartographic Conference Cape Town,
– Eng MATE FLOATS! Summer Camp 2023 Seattle, WA
– Info Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 Workshop Online
– Eng National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Conference 2023 Minneapolis, MN

For more events, please visit the ATE Central Events page or, if you have any upcoming events that you would like posted on ATE Central or in the ATE Central Connection, please submit them online.

News & Reminders

MentorLinks 2023-2025 Cohort Invitation

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is inviting applications for the MentorLinks program for the 2023-2025 cohort. This program is designed for community colleges that do not already have NSF ATE funding and are interested in developing or strengthening STEM technician education programs. The program seeks individual mentors and community colleges to participate. MentorLinks colleges will receive $30,000 for the 2-year grant period, and the grant's primary focus is on valuable networking, technical assistance, and professional development. Interested applicants can apply through the AACC website before the deadline of June 27, 2023.

New Tool - Calendar Feed

The ATE Central Calendar Feed is an easy to customize tool that enables calendar feeds from the ATE Central Events Calendar to quickly be added to either the Outlook or the Mac Calendar app, and will then automatically display upcoming events of interest based on the keywords you include. You can use the feed to populate your personal calendar or to add lists of upcoming events to your ATE center or project website. For WordPress-based sites, free plugins like ICS Calendar will allow you to use a calendar feed to display a list of upcoming events on your WordPress site. You'll need to sign in to your ATE Central account to create a feed - and it's easy to change your selection of keywords to add or subtract areas of interest over time. We look forward to hearing from you as you utilize this new service and as always, we'd love to get your feedback or comments. Don't hesitate to reach out to the team with any questions at info@atecentral.net.

HI-TEC 2023 Registration Now Open

Connect with colleagues and update your knowledge and skills at HI-TEC this year!

HI-TEC is a national conference on advanced technological education where secondary and postsecondary educators, counselors, industry professionals, trade organizations, and technicians can update their knowledge and skills. Charged with preparing America's skilled technical workforce, the event focuses on the preparation needed by the existing and future workforce for companies in the high-tech sectors that drive our nation's economy. This year's conference will be held at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center, July 24-27. Pre-conference events will be held July 24-25. Read more and register on the HI-TEC website!

ATE Impacts 2022-2023 Book Showcases Work of ATE Community

The ATE Impacts 2022-2023 book showcases the work of the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Community. This edition includes a foreword from United States President Joseph Biden. It features the work of 33 projects and 28 centers across the seven ATE areas, as well as applied research. By highlighting the ATE community's successful and innovative work, the book encourages broader participation in the ATE program by academic institutions, educators, and industry partners. Dissemination of the ATE Impacts book advances understanding of the importance of technician education and its role in supporting the high-tech industries that drive the United States' economy More information on the book can be found on the ATE Impacts website.

Funding Opportunity from NSF

Keep an eye out for opportunities from the National Science foundation - including this recent Dear Colleague Letter! This DCL encourages proposals to two programs (ATE and S-STEM) supporting workforce development efforts at institutions of higher education. Proposals must build on or leverage strong industry-academic partnerships to strengthen the semiconductor manufacturing workforce.

EvaluateUR-CURE Accepting Applications

EvaluateUR-CURE is now accepting applications to participate in the final round of pilot testing during the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters. This opportunity is available through an award from the NSF ATE program to the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo State.

EvaluateUR-CURE is a method for evaluating course-based undergraduate research experiences -- CUREs. Combining research into undergraduate courses provides research opportunities for students.

Pilot testing of E-CURE is open to all faculty. Faculty teaching courses with research experiences (CUREs) at community colleges are especially encouraged to apply. A modest stipend is provided for participating in the pilot and providing feedback.

The application can be completed on EvaluateUR-CURE's website.

More information about the project can be found on the main E-CURE page.

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