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、包容的计划，该中心将教育技术人员，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。墨西哥湾各州——路易斯安那州、德克萨斯州、密西西比州、阿拉巴马州和佛罗里达州——在地理上、社会上和经济上都有联系，对环境和工程相关技术人员的工作需求相似。需要熟练的技术人员来保护和恢复沿海和湿地生态系统；建造防洪堤及其他阻水结构；海上能源生产和运输设施建设；重建和修复被风暴破坏的基础设施；促进港口的航运、物流和商业；清理溢油；实施城市规划师的设计；飓风应对和疏浚。规划团队及其顾问委员会结合了工业界、学术界和政府领导人的智力能力和现实世界的工作经验。参与者在保护海岸和湿地生态系统方面贡献了海洋和工程技术经验、管理经验、科学知识和教育领导。在规划过程中，PI团队对具有类似目标的成功的ATE中心进行实地考察，以确定最佳的组织结构，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地区伙伴关系。为了减少重复，使课程内容与行业标准和行业需求保持一致，他们正在审查技术领域现有的副学士学位课程，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从以前经过验证的模型中进行调整，并纳入中心计划。

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.