Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for community colleges, in cooperation with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), proposes to conduct a second round of its NSF/DUE/ATE supported, multi-component curriculum development and faculty enhancement project. The objective of the project is to improve and strengthen the teaching of science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET) at the nation's community colleges. As in the project's first round (1996-1998), it is expected that this objective will be accomplished through a set of activities that extend, for replication, the knowledge, experience and quality materials achieved by six exemplary NSF-supported projects, first to eighteen competitively selected colleges, and ultimately, to community, technical and junior colleges nationwide. Activities to be conducted are: establishment of a core group of six mentors - experienced SMET educators in the following areas: GIS (Patricia Cunniff, Prince George's Community College), mathematics (Alan Jacobs, Scottsdale Community College), precision agriculture (Terry Brase, Hawkeye Community College), biotechnology (Kathy Frame, National Association of Biology Teachers), image processing, using technology in the classroom (Melanie Magisos, Center for Image Processing in Education), and engineering technology "mecomtronics" (Jack Waintraub, Middlesex Community College); national competition to select eighteen colleges; National Science and Technology Education Conferences (2) at which mentors and their selected college teams will develop action plans; mentoring services, including site visits, throughout the project; networking newsletters to report on the progress of the eighteen colleges; case study monograph for distribution to presidents, academic deans and science faculty; and a broad range of other dissemination activities though Phi Theta Kappa and AACC conferences and publications.
