Expansion of the Woodworking Technicians Distance Education Partnership

由于1998年的关键需求分析，马萨诸塞州加德纳的伍斯特山社区学院（MWCC）的教师申请并获得了美国国家科学基金会（ATE Award No. 9850317）的资助。在这个项目下，教师为木工技术人员开发了一个教育计划，采用独特的教育视频、课堂和工厂内指导的组合，利用“工匠队”。最新的努力建立在这项工作的基础上，进一步发展和实施一个国家模式，为行业专业人士或现有木工培训项目的学生提供远程学习课程。通过该课程，学生将获得木材技术员证书，该证书将用于获得木制品技术的副学士学位。MWCC正在完成开发，并为木工技术人员提供远程学习的完整副学士学位课程，与阿肯色州正在进行的Winrock国际学徒计划相结合。一旦他们的整个项目在阿肯色州开始实施，在项目期间将扩展到至少一个其他州。其目的是最终将阿肯色州的计划作为全国的典范。课程是通过远程学习和课堂教学的独特组合提供的。由退休人员和非退休人员组成的“工匠军团”是NSF最初项目的一部分。这些手工艺人也在项目的一些实践教育指导中提供帮助。为阿肯色州学徒教育开发的课程材料也被用于目前正在华盛顿特区进行的一个项目。MWCC的教师正在华盛顿特区工作，以培训不同群体的市中心青年木工，部分支持来自他们以前的国家科学基金会资助。这些年轻人持续参与这个项目，增加了他们学习的机会。他们计划的另一个独特组成部分是包括一本行业贸易杂志。目前正在与《木材文摘》杂志合作，在国家一级管理非学分和学分课程模块（全部课程的一部分）。他们项目的一个主要优势是几个公共和私人组织的参与。

As a result of a 1998 critical needs analysis, the faculty of Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC), Gardner, Massachusetts, applied for and received a grant from the National Science Foundation (ATE Award No. 9850317). Under this project faculty developed an educational program for woodworking technicians, employing a unique combination of educational videos, classroom and in-plant instruction utilizing a "Corps of Craftsman." The latest efforts build on this work to further develop and implement a national model offering distance-learning courses to industry professionals or students in existing woodworking training programs. Through this program, students earn a wood technician certificate which is applied towards an associate degree in wood products technology. MWCC is completing the development of and is offering the full associate degree program for woodworking technicians on a distance-learning basis in conjunction with an ongoing Winrock International apprenticeship program in Arkansas. Once their full program is underway in Arkansas, it will be expanded to at least one other state during the project period. The intent is to eventually use the Arkansas program as a national model. Courses are being offered through a unique combination of distance-learning and classroom instruction. The "Corps of Craftsmen," consisting of both retired and non-retired personnel, was established as part of the initial NSF project. These craftpersons also assist in some of the hands-on educational instruction of the program. The course materials developed for the education of apprentices in Arkansas are also being used for a project currently underway in Washington, D.C. MWCC faculty are working in Washington, D.C. to train a diverse group of inner-city youths in woodworking, with partial support from their previous NSF grant. Ongoing participation of these youths in the project enhances their opportunities for learning. Another unique component of their program involves the inclusion of an industry trade magazine. Non-credit and for-credit course modules (portions of full courses) are being administered in cooperation with Wood Digest magazine on a national level. A major strength of their project is the involvement of several public and private organizations.