The College of Lake County Regional Photonics Initiative Phase II

参与组织：湖县高中技术校区（LCHSTC）爱荷华州光学和光子学教育中心（OP-TEC）印第安山社区学院项目描述湖县学院（CLC）正在开发一个区域光子学项目，用于激光/光学/光子学应用科学副学士学位（AAS）。该计划提供创新的教学，交付和调度；依靠模块化课程，通过混合式，早入/早出系统交付，以减少学生完成学位所需的时间。该项目旨在解决技术劳动力教育的学生招募问题，方法是为位于大学校园内的莱克县高中技术校区（Lake County High school technical Campus）创造一条新的学生通道。学生可以在两年内在高中完成光子学证书（获得完整的大学学分），也可以在CLC的AAS学位中建立职业道路。该计划首先为学生提供了1级，2级和3级激光器的实践经验，直到他们能够在安全的环境中操作它们。然后，学生将接受3b和4级功率激光器的培训，用于干涉测量、全息术和光谱学等应用，最后是用于军事和制造业应用的高功率激光器。他们接触到使用不同激光介质的激光，并有机会探索生物医学应用，以了解激光利用的背景。这项工作正在建立一条从技术高中到社区大学，从社区大学到四年制大学的综合管道，所有这些都强调通过非常规和创新的交付方法完成学位和证书。此外，该项目正在研究与支持这种选择的四年制转学机构合作创建AB学位的可能性。该项目利用了一所技术高中和一所社区大学的共存优势，为两者都增加了价值，为高中和社区大学的学生创造了一条通往高工资、高增长的技术工作的途径。CLC Photonics Initiative通过提供一种创新的STEM教育方法，为受经济衰退影响最严重的地区提供了一条就业途径。该项目为全国和中西部地区提供了广泛的适用性，特别是在为学生准备光子学职业方面。该团队正在与印第安山社区学院和OP-TEC合作创建一个区域光子学项目。CLC也是OP-TEC光子学学院网络的一部分，该网络可以获得一所学校难以单独购买的社区设备，为学生提供最先进的设备（例如光纤激光器和铰接式机器人）。该项目提供了一个可以在其他地方复制的模式，进一步提供了广泛的高科技教育和培训机会。

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:Lake County High Schools Technical Campus (LCHSTC)Indian Hills Community College in IowaNational Center for Optics and Photonics Education (OP-TEC) PROJECT DESCRIPTIONThe College of Lake County (CLC) is developing a regional Photonics program for a Laser/Optics/Photonics Associates degree in Applied Science (AAS). The program offers innovative instruction, delivery and scheduling; relying on a modular curriculum that is delivered through a hybrid, early entry/early exit system to reduce the time a student needs to complete a degree. It seeks to solve the problem of student recruitment into technical workforce education by creating a new pipeline of students from Lake County High Schools Technical Campus, which is located on the college campus. Students are able to complete a Photonics Certificate at their high school in two years (obtaining full college credit), also having a career pathway built into the AAS degree at CLC. This initiative first provides students with a hands-on experience with Class 1, 2 and 3 lasers until they are able to operate them in a safe environment. Students are then trained on class 3b and 4 powered lasers for applications such as interferometry, holography, and spectroscopy, and finally on high powered lasers used in the military and manufacturing applications. They are exposed to lasers using different lasing media and are provided with opportunities to explore biomedical applications to understand the context of laser utilization. The effort is creating an integrated pipeline from technical high school to community college and from community college to four-year institutions, all with emphasis on completion of degrees and certificates achieved through unconventional and innovative delivery methods. In addition, the project is examining the possibility of creating an AB degree with 4-year transfer institutions that support such an option.BROADER SIGNIFICANCEThis project takes advantage of the co-location of a technical high school and a community college to add value to both, creating a pathway to high-wage, high growth technical jobs for high school and community college students. The CLC Photonics Initiative provides a pathway to available jobs in the area hardest hit by the economic downturn by offering an innovative approach to STEM education. The project offers broad applicability for the nation and Midwest, particularly in preparing students for Photonics careers. The team is creating a Regional Photonics Program in collaboration with Indian Hills Community College and OP-TEC. CLC is also part of OP-TEC's Photonics College Network, which can obtain community equipment that would be difficult for one school to purchase alone - offering students access to state-of-the-art equipment (e.g., a fiber laser and articulating robot). The program offers a model that can be replicated elsewhere, further providing widespread access to high-tech education and training.