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: General Advanced Technological Education

From Mentor-Connect: Leadership Development and Outreach Initiative for ATE:

Mentor-Connect Resource Library

library.mentor-connect.org

With the goal of advancing technician education and leadership development, the Mentor-Connect Resource Library offers a variety of content to support prospective, current, and former grantees of the NSF ATE program. Its robust collection contains guides, recorded webinars, checklists, toolkits, articles, and sample documents. Featured topics within the Mentor-Connect Resource Library include proposal writing, post-submission activities, and project implementation.

From Community College Presidents Initiative - STEM (CCPI STEM):

NSF ATE Labor and Economic Impact

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbLjeYEeD-w

In collaboration with the Community College Presidents Initiative in STEM (CCPI-STEM), this 53-minute video is the ninth episode of the CCPI-Cast webinar series. It highlights representatives from Northern Virginia Community College and Allan Hancock College, who discuss workforce and economic topics. The video dives into the potential applications of labor market data, the positive effect of NSF ATE grants on academia and local industry, and more.

From A Research Collaborative to Build Employability Skills for STEM Technology Fields:

How to Support Career Technical Instructors to Develop Students' Professional Skills

employabilityskills.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/project-goals-brief-support-career-technical-instructors_Acc.pdf

Developed by SRI International, this 21-page report provides insights on how technical instructors can integrate professional skills instruction into coursework. It outlines the importance of these skills for technical careers, details the process of resource development, and summarizes the results of classroom pilot-testing. The report also reflects on potential constraints and provides recommendations to better support community college leaders and instructors.

Community Connection

2025 ATE Principal Investigators' Conference

With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) will be hosting this year's ATE Principal Investigators' (PI) Conference on October 29-31, 2025, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. The deadline for registration is October 2, 2025.

In its 32nd year, the conference will bring together more than 850 NSF ATE grantees and project collaborators to dive into the industry trends and current challenges shaping advanced technological education. The 2025 ATE PI Conference continues to support innovation and partnership in preparing the future skilled technician workforce. For both new and established projects and centers, this annual event provides a chance to network, gain valuable insights, and share advice or accomplishments. Spotlight sessions, learning labs, focused workshops, product demonstrations, and presentations will be available for attendees. Content will be applicable to a variety of STEM fields, including engineering technology, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, information technology, nanotechnology, and more.

To learn more about the upcoming ATE PI Conference, including details on registration, pre-conference programming, and relevant resources, read the full blog post on ATE Impacts.

ATE Success Tips: Social Media

Understanding and Leveraging Social Media Analytics

Social media is a valuable tool for promoting your project or center's work, sharing updates, publishing deliverables, and connecting with others inside and outside the ATE community. Tracking content performance and other metrics using social media analytics can help maximize your outreach efforts. While the volume of available data may seem overwhelming, a focused approach can provide valuable insights to guide your social media strategy. Here are some tips to help navigate the expansive field of analytics both efficiently and effectively.

Know your areas of focus.

Prioritize insights in three core areas: content performance, audience information, and scheduling insights.

  • Content performance: evaluate the impact of your social media posts by analyzing metrics such as reach, impressions, and audience engagement. This data shows how many individuals view your content and how many interact with it. Posts with high or low performance numbers can help refine your outreach plan.
  • Audience information: leverage analytics to understand the background of your viewers. Collecting and analyzing information on audience demographics, the types of devices used to access content, and common routes to your posts can help assess whether your project or center is reaching its target audiences.
  • Scheduling insights: optimize social media scheduling by determining the days and times that lead to more successful posts, and compare these results across platforms for wider reach.

Use free tools to your advantage.

Most social media platforms offer free analytics tools for users, such as Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram, X Analytics for Twitter (X), and LinkedIn Pages. Additionally, scheduling platforms like Hootsuite and general platforms like Google Analytics can provide insights on your published content and social media performance trends.

Set up a regular time to review your data.

To supercharge your outreach efforts, set aside time each month to check your analytics. Investigate any insights learned from the data and measure progress on your social media objectives. Let the analytics guide your strategy - from the type of content published to when, where, and how often you post.

For more guidance on outreach efforts and social media planning, check out the ATE Central Outreach Kit.

Did You Know?

According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), investments by academic institutions in online non-degree credentials - such as certificates and bootcamps - have grown exponentially since 2018. Sixty-five percent of community colleges and four-year universities reported moderate to major investments in these programs, an exponential growth compared to the 29% indicated in 2018. To learn more about trends in online learning and non-degree credentials, read AACC's recent report.

Select STEM Education Resources

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

Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) Association

erc-assoc.org

Sponsored by the NSF, the Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) Association connects academia with industry through interdisciplinary research on engineering-based systems. It supports workforce competency development, leadership, and innovation in practice. The ERCs Association's website offers best practices, engineering curricula, manuals, and information on educational programs.

National Academies of Sciences: Science, Technology, and Economic Policy (STEP)

www.nationalacademies.org/step/board-on-science-technology-and-economic-policy

The National Academies of Sciences: Science, Technology, and Economic Policy (STEP) works to integrate STEM elements into the creation and reform of national policies. Its website highlights recent projects and upcoming events, including topics like intellectual property rights, government-industry partnerships, commercial applications of technologies, and measuring and maintaining the economy.

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

nscresearchcenter.org

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center gathers data on colleges and universities to inform policy decisions and support improved student outcomes. Its website hosts new reports and findings, project updates, and educational trends. Publications from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center span four broad categories: student experience, enrollment trends, enrollment estimates, and high school benchmarks.

Do you have some great STEM resources you'd like to share with ATE Central? Email us with your ideas at [email protected].

ATE Events

Upcoming Events
– Mfg AMTEC Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation (AI3) Owensboro, KY
– Info Women Who Code- Summit @ TechFutures New York, NY
Eng FLY-ND Career Expo Minot, ND
– Mfg Women in Manufacturing SUMMIT 2025 Chicago, IL
Bio/Chem From Feedstock to Scale: UC Davis's Integrated Approach to Biomanufacturing Online
– Eng UAS Summit & Expo Grand Forks, ND
Gen 5 Misunderstood Truths About Leadership Online
Gen New Supplement Opportunities for ExLENT and ATE PIs related to AI Informational Webinar Online
– Mfg NCNGM Summit 2025 Rochester Hills, MI
Mfg AI in Engineering Summit East Hartford, CT
– Info USDA Cybersecurity Expo 2025 Online
Gen ATE PI Conference Orientation Webinar Online
– Info Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2a Workshop Online
Info Intro to Generative AI and Microsoft Copilot for Faculty and Staff Online
– Bio/Chem ACUBE's 69th Annual Meeting Kingwood, TX
Gen CCPI-Cast: The National Applied AI Consortium Online
Ag/Env EV Charging Stations on Campuses – The Good, the Bad & the Ugly Online
Gen Community Conversation: Effective Facilitation Practices for ATE Project Online
Mfg AI in Manufacturing: A Faculty Primer for Community Colleges Online
Info AWS AI Practitioner Faculty Training Online
– Gen 2025 ATE Principal Investigators’ Conference Washington, DC
– Gen Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers National Convention Philadelphia, PA
– Gen HACU Annual Conference Aurora, CO
– Info 26th Annual ACM Conference on Cybersecurity and Information Technology Education Sacramento, CA
Eng Experience Northland Aerospace Thief River Falls, MN
Mfg NCNGM Community of Practice Online
– Info Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2a Workshop Online
Bio/Chem From By-product to Value Add: Scaling Dairy Byproducts through Bioconversion with the UW CDR Online
Gen CCPI-Cast: Developing the Blue-Collar AI Workforce Online
– Bio/Chem 5th Annual 2025 AFCC Global Biobased Economy Conference & Exhibit Oxon Hill, MD
– Mfg Rockwell Automation Fair Chicago, IL
– Mfg AMTEC Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation (AI3) Owensboro, KY
Gen Community Conversation: Using AI in Your Project Evaluations Online
– Eng Underwater Intervention Conference New Orleans, LA
– Info NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference Nashville, TN
– Gen ACTE CareerTech VISION Nashville, TN

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

Supplemental Funding Opportunity: NSF DCL Supports AI Initiatives for High School Students

In a recent Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced an invitation for supplemental funding requests from current Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) and Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grantees to test, integrate, or build upon AI-based career learning opportunities and workforce preparation efforts for high school students.

To be eligible for this additional funding, proposals must demonstrate partnership among community colleges, high schools, and industry collaborators. Supported activities include curriculum development, micro-internships, hands-on training, certification programs, and dual enrollment opportunities.

To determine eligibility prior to official proposal submission, contact the "Expanding AI Career and Skilled Technical Workforce Opportunities in Support of High School Students" program leads by providing a two-page summary of the planned funding request, including its budget, to:

If approved to submit, supplemental requests are due by December 15th, 2025.

NSF ATE and ExLENT program officers will be holding an upcoming information session on October 14th, 2025, from 3:00-3:50PM EST to discuss this funding opportunity, share details of the DCL, and answer any questions. Register for this webinar by visiting NSF's website. Information sessions will also be held at the ATE PI meeting in October 2025 and the ExLENT PI meeting in November 2025.

For more information on eligibility and submission, view the full DCL from NSF.

NSF ATE Program Seeking Reviewers

The National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program is seeking reviewers to help evaluate proposals that advance technician education and the skilled technical workforce. This helps the ATE program fund research and development projects that strengthen two-year college STEM programs, industry partnerships, curriculum innovation, and pathways that prepare the next generation of skilled technicians. Serving as a reviewer is a great way to contribute to the ATE community, support impactful projects, and gain insight into the NSF review process. Reviewers can be STEM professionals, community college STEM faculty and leaders, industry partners, evaluators, or STEM educators. To submit interest in becoming a reviewer, complete NSF's survey here.

2025 ATE Principal Investigators' Conference

With support by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the American Association of Community Colleges will host this year's ATE Principal Investigators' (PI) Conference on October 29-31, 2025, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. The event will bring together NSF ATE grantees and project partners, providing a platform to collaborate and discuss current challenges, emerging prospects, and industry trends for advanced technological education. In its 32nd year, the PI conference aims to support leadership and innovation in preparing the skilled technician workforce of tomorrow.

Spotlight sessions, product demonstrations, learning labs, focused workshops, and presentations will be available, offering attendees the opportunity to network, share project or center updates, gain valuable insights for industry and education, and connect with the ATE community. Conference content will connect to a variety of fields, including engineering technology, biotechnology, information technology, and nanotechnology.

The registration deadline is October 2, 2025. Visit the ATE PI Conference website to learn more or to register for the event.

ATE Impacts 2024-2025 Book Promotes Technical Education and Celebrates 30 Years

The ATE Impacts 2024-2025 book showcases the work of the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Community. This edition includes a foreword from National Science Foundation Director, Sethuraman Panchanathan, and features the work of 24 centers and 35 projects 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.

ATE Central Outreach Kit

The ATE Central Outreach Kit was developed as a tool to assist ATE Principal Investigators (PIs) and staff in effectively planning, monitoring, and executing outreach activities.

ATE Central has given the Outreach Kit a refresh with a new design and content, accompanied by a downloadable Template. The new kit is designed to guide you through a step-by-step process and helps you explore how to identify your primary audiences and stakeholders, determine the partners and resources that can support your efforts, and start considering aspects such as branding and messaging.

By utilizing the kit and template, you will make significant progress towards developing a comprehensive plan that enables you to achieve the objectives of your grant, effectively communicate your outcomes and impacts, and showcase the valuable work of your project or center to a diverse range of stakeholders.

The Outreach Kit can be found on ATE Central's website, under the Resources tab.

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