NSF-ATE: Partnership for Advanced Marine and Environmental Science Training for Pacific Islanders

太平洋岛屿是一个特殊的自然实验室，拥有高度多样化和独特的珊瑚礁和陆地生态系统，由于全球环境条件变化的影响、发展压力以及过度捕捞和沿海污染的影响，这些生态系统已经处于高度紧张和退化的状态。这些岛屿及其人口的未来取决于当地资源管理者、决策者和利益攸关方所拥有的技术技能和知识。这个项目将提供获得准确和充分的技术资料的关键途径，以加强当地高等教育机构的能力。来自当地机构、企业和利益相关者的投入已经确定了社区大学毕业生在政府、非政府组织和私营部门担任职位所需的关键技术技能。这些学生将培养强大的stem相关技能，进入美国大陆技术相关领域的劳动力，并成功地攻读四年制和研究生学位。这个项目将加强太平洋岛屿上五个为少数民族服务的社区学院的海洋和环境科学教育：美属萨摩亚社区学院、密克罗尼西亚- FSM学院、马绍尔群岛学院、北马里亚纳学院和帕劳社区学院。该项目将支持相关课程的开发、学院教师的专业发展、学生的实习和实地经验，并加强参与机构的科学基础设施。重点将放在岛屿生态系统和气候科学上，活动将包括为教师提供先进的培训，使他们的课程现代化，扩大新工具和技术的使用，以及支持学生实习和研究经验。

The Pacific Islands are an exceptional natural laboratory, with highly diverse and unique coral reef and terrestrial ecosystems that are already under elevated levels of stress and degradation due to the effects of changing global environmental conditions, development pressures, and the effects of overfishing and coastal pollution. The future of the Islands and their populations depends on the technical skills and knowledge available to local resource managers, policy makers and stakeholders. This project will provide critical access to accurate and adequate technical information to strengthen the capacity of the local institutions of higher education. Input from local agencies, businesses and stakeholders have identified key technological skills needed by community college graduates to fill positions within the governments, NGO community and private sector. These students will develop strong STEM-related skills to enter the U.S. Mainland workforce in technology related fields and to successfully pursue 4-year and graduate degrees.This project will enhance marine and environmental science education at the five minority-serving community colleges of the Pacific Islands: American Samoa Community College, the College of Micronesia - FSM, the College of the Marshall Islands, Northern Marianas College, and Palau Community College. The project will support relevant curriculum development, the professional development of the college faculty, internships and field experiences for students, and strengthen the scientific infrastructure of the participating institutions. The focus will be on island ecosystems and climate science, and activities will include advanced training for faculty to modernize their courses, expanded use of new tools and technologies, and support for student internships and research experiences.