Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA)

该项目建立在之前的NSF ATE奖的基础上，创建了葡萄栽培和酿酒科学技术联盟（VESTA）区域卓越中心。一个由多州（密苏里州、俄克拉何马州、伊利诺伊州和爱荷华州）组成的两年制学院联盟致力于提供一个全面的、区域性的方法，以满足中美洲地区葡萄种植和葡萄酒酿造行业当前和未来的教育和培训要求。该项目的重点是巩固VESTA合作机构之间的联系，确定和验证行业技能标准，确保通过合作机构提供课程，确定高中和四年制机构的联系，并认证葡萄园和酿酒厂作为实地实习地点。VESTA计划扩大到包括阿肯色州、堪萨斯州、印第安纳州、明尼苏达州、内布拉斯加州、俄亥俄州、德克萨斯州和威斯康星州的两年制学院，从而支持整个中美洲地区的葡萄和葡萄酒行业。在VESTA项目专注于中美洲地区行业需求的同时，该中心还与全国其他领先的教育机构建立了联系，这些教育机构以高质量的葡萄和葡萄酒教育项目为特色，为葡萄栽培和酿酒学方面的职业发展提供了途径；技术熟练的劳动力；以及对葡萄和葡萄酒产业的技术支持。它还支持企业家努力创建新的葡萄园和酿酒厂。

This project builds on a previous NSF ATE award to create the Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA) Regional Center of Excellence. A multi-state (Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Iowa) alliance of two-year colleges is committed to providing a comprehensive, regional approach to meet the current and future education and training requirements of the grape growing and wine making industry in the Mid-America region. The project focuses on solidifying linkages among VESTA partner institutions, identifying and validating industry skill standards, ensuring course delivery through the partner institutions, identifying high school and four-year institutional linkages, and certifying vineyards and wineries as field practicum sites. VESTA intends to expand to include two-year colleges in Arkansas, Kansas, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin, thereby supporting the grape and wine industry throughout the Mid-America region. While the VESTA program focuses on the needs of the industry in the Mid-America region, the Center also reaches out to other leading educational institutions throughout the country that feature high quality grape and wine educational programs to provide access to career pathways in viticulture and enology; a technically skilled workforce; and technological support to the grape and wine industry. It also supports entrepreneurs as they endeavor to create new vineyards and wineries.