This project features interrelated activities designed to: broaden the impact of community college leadership in STEM education; encourage greater numbers of community colleges to develop ATE-related programs; create and support venues for developing and nurturing STEM professional and leadership development opportunities; and disseminate the value, resources, and accomplishments of the ATE program. The project is building upon AACC's previous successful efforts and supporting: 1. Three National ATE Principal Investigators Conferences in 2014, 2015, and 2016; 2. Expanded access to ATE PI Conference content through a series of four online workshops developed by filming select ATE pre-conference workshops in 2014 and 2015; 3. Continuation of the AACC MentorLinks program to help 10 community colleges establish new programs or strengthen existing programs in STEM fields; 4. AACC project briefs highlighting the outcomes of the MentorLinks program; 5. Three STEM leadership development webinars designed to engage emerging and seasoned community college leaders as part of AACC's "Trends and Issues in Leadership" webinar series; and 6. Dissemination of ATE program resources, information, and impact through presentations, feature stories, web site, conference proceedings, and the use of social media technologies.
The activities have strong intellectual merit to advance knowledge and understanding of various STEM disciplines and the strategies used to build and strengthen STEM programs. They are enriching and expanding the current network of institutions working at the forefront of technological education reform; supporting and expanding that network through professional development and mentoring programs that provide venues for identifying promising strategies and lessons learned; cultivating new community college STEM leaders and advocates through leadership development and STEM awareness opportunities; disseminating information and resources generated by the ATE community to grow and strengthen STEM technician education nationally; and promoting the value, impact, and national significance of the community college leadership role in technician education.
The project activities are helping community college leaders make the important connections and partnerships necessary to build and sustain STEM programs. The networking and professional enrichment leads to numerous interactions among participants, involving the sharing of materials and curriculum, exchange visits to campuses, and collaborative activities including joint proposals to advance the field. The activities are: helping to strengthen and expand the ATE community to meet the increasing demand for a trained technical workforce; playing a critical role in addressing the national student completion agenda in STEM fields; and facing the challenges of maintaining U.S. global competitiveness.
