Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center

该项目正在开发建设可持续明天的建筑效率(BEST)国家中心，以支持建筑系统技术人员教育领域的改进。随着建筑业的大规模转型，建筑系统技术人员必须接受教育并做好准备，以管理正在安装或正在开发的日益复杂的建筑自动化和能源管理系统。该中心是：1)创建一个由行业顾问和研究实验室组成的全国网络，其任务是帮助定义新兴行业技能要求，验证示范课程和课程，并向更大的行业利益攸关方社区倡导中心的使命；2)通过在以下优先领域提供机会和资源，促进社区大学教育工作者的知识基础：课程开发、专业发展、职业道路发展和研究传播，以及3)加强国家STEM途径，从高中开始培养建筑技术人员和工程师。智力价值：教育工作者正在通过提供建筑系统技术人员教育最佳实践的专业发展研讨会，提高他们对这一多学科领域的知识和理解。学生受益于经过行业验证的增强课程和经过精心磨练的教学策略，以及扩展的课程和动手实验室。该中心正在其网站上创建国家实验室和研究机构的研究链接，以提供课程改进的信息。该项目正在利用由国家科学基金会资助的其他中心的工作，以及能源部资助的研发活动。广泛的影响：该中心直接回应建筑智能集团进行的研究，该研究发现了广泛的劳动力趋势和建筑系统技术人员培训方面的差距。该中心正在提供专业发展和资源，以改进课堂教学和学习，并传播关于国家实验室开发的研究和新技术的信息。

This project is developing the Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) National Center to support improvements in the field of building systems technician education. With the large scale transformation underway in the building industry, building systems technicians must be educated and prepared to manage the increasingly complex building automation and energy management systems now being installed or under development. The Center is: 1) creating a national network of industry advisors and research laboratories tasked with helping to define emerging industry skill requirements, validate model courses and curricula, and advocate for the mission of the Center to the larger community of industry stakeholders, 2) advancing the knowledge base of community college educators by providing opportunities and resources in the following priority areas: curriculum development, professional development, career pathway development, and dissemination of research, and 3) strengthening the national STEM pathway for educating building technicians and engineers starting in high school.Intellectual Merit: Educators are advancing their knowledge and understanding of this multi-disciplinary field through professional development workshops that present best practices in building system technician education. Students are benefiting from enhanced industry-validated curricula and well-honed instructional strategies, as well as expanded program offerings and hands-on labs. The Center is creating links to research from national laboratories and research institutions on its website to inform curricular improvements. The project is leveraging the work of other centers funded by the National Science Foundation, as well as Department of Energy-funded research and development activities.Broader Impact: The Center responds directly to research conducted by the Building Intelligence Group that identified broad workforce trends and gaps in training for building system technicians. The Center is providing professional development and resources to improve classroom instruction and learning, as well as disseminating information on research and new technologies developed by national laboratories.