NSF ATE Planning Grant: A Gulf States Collaborative to Develop a Strategic Plan for a Gulf States Advanced Technology Education Center for Coastal Resources

该项目正在为ATE区域中心制定一项全面的包容性计划，该计划将教育技术人员并改善与海湾国家沿海湿地，河口和海洋环境相关的经济发展前景。海湾各州-路易斯安那州、得克萨斯州、密西西比州、亚拉巴马州和佛罗里达州-在地理、社会和经济上相互联系，对与环境和工程有关的技术人员有着类似的工作需要，需要熟练的技术人员来保护和恢复沿海和湿地生态系统;建造堤坝和其他蓄水的遏制结构;建造近海能源生产和运输的结构;重建和修复风暴破坏的基础设施;促进港口的航运、物流和商业;清理漏油;实施城市规划者的设计;飓风应对和疏浚。规划团队及其联合收割机将工业界、学术界和政府领导人的智力能力和真实的世界工作经验结合起来。参与者将贡献海洋和工程技术经验、管理经验、科学知识以及在保护沿海和湿地生态系统方面的教育领导力。在规划过程中，PI团队将对具有类似目标的成功ATE中心进行实地考察，以确定最佳组织结构，并为新中心的项目和活动制定战略计划。他们正在与社区和四年制大学、高中、商业和工业以及联邦和州机构的代表建立区域伙伴关系。为了减少重复并使计划组件与行业标准和行业需求保持一致，他们正在审查技术人员领域的现有副学士学位课程，确定劳动力技能和所需的知识集，评估GIS，AutoCad和相关工具，调查远程学习并制定计划，将实习和现场经验整合到新课程中。招募和留住代表性不足的群体和高中生的方法正在根据以前经过验证的模式进行调整，并纳入该中心的计划。

This project is developing a comprehensive, inclusive plan for an ATE regional center that will educate technicians and improve the prospects of economic development associated with coastal wetlands, estuarine and marine environments of the Gulf States. The Gulf States -- Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida -- are geographically, socially, and economically linked and have similar job needs for environmental and engineering related technicians.Skilled technicians are needed for preserving and restoring coastal and wetland ecosystems; building levees and other containment structures for retaining water; building structures for offshore energy production and transport; rebuilding and repairing storm damaged infrastructure; facilitating shipping, logistics, and commerce at ports; cleaning up oil spills; implementing the designs of city planners; hurricane response and dredging.The planning team and its advisory board combine the intellectual capacities and real world work experiences of leaders in industry, academia, and government. Participants contribute marine and engineering technical experience, administrative experience, knowledge of science, and educational leadership in preserving coastal and wetland ecosystems.During the planning process the PI team is making site visits to successful ATE Centers with similar goals in order to determine the best organizational structure and to develop a strategic plan for the programs and activities of the new center. They are forming regional partnerships with representatives of community and four-year colleges, high schools, business and industry, and federal and state agencies. To reduce duplication and align program components with industry standards and industry needs, they are reviewing existing associate degree programs in technician fields, identifying workforce skills and required knowledge sets, evaluating GIS, AutoCad, and related tools, investigating distance learning and making plans to integrate internships and field experiences in the new curriculum. Methods to recruit and retain underrepresented groups and high school students are being adapted from previously validated models and incorporated into the Center plan.