National Forum on Critical Issues in Environmental Technology Programs at Two-Year Colleges

正在举行为期两天的邀请讲习班，审查与环境技术教育有关的关键问题。讲习班的参加者包括数学、科学、环境教育和技术领域的高等教育工作者以及雇主、中学教育工作者和政府代表。论坛参与者在六个技术小组之一工作，正在确定和确定问题的优先次序，并就两年制大学的环境技术教育提出建议。每个工作组由一名在某一特定领域被公认为专家的技术工作组主席领导。工作组正在处理环境技术人员教育专业化方面的问题；课程和项目的开发和实施；教师的准备、资格证书、职业晋升和继续教育；人力资源，包括招收、保留和安排学生；环境技术人员目前及未来的就业需求；并为中学生顺利进入高等环境技术教育课程做好准备。讲习班的报告正在分发给学术机构和私营部门以及对环境技术教育感兴趣的地方和联邦政府工作人员。论坛的规划和实施是由美国国家科学基金会先进技术环境教育中心（ATEEC）、有害物质培训与研究所（HMTRI）、美国社区学院协会（AACC）和美国国家科学基金会（NSF）共同努力的结果。

A two day invitational workshop is being held to examine critical issues relating to environmental technology education. The workshop involves postsecondary educators in the fields of mathematics, science, environmental education, and technology as well as employers, secondary school educators, and government representatives. Forum participants, working in one of six technical groups, are identifying and prioritizing issues and developing recommendations concerning Environmental Technology education at two-year colleges. Each working group is being directed by a technical working group chair recognized as an expert in a particular area. The working groups are addressing issues in the professionalization of environmental technician education; curriculum and program development and implementation; preparation, credentials, professional advancement, and continuing education of faculty; human resources including recruitment, retention, and placement of students; current and future employment needs for environmental technicians; and preparation of secondary school students for successful entry into postsecondary environmental technical education programs. The workshop report is being distributed to academic institutions and the private sector as well as local and federal government staff interested in environmental technology education. Planning and implementation of the forum is a cooperative effort involving the NSF Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center (ATEEC), the Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute (HMTRI), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).