Priming The Pipeline For The St. Louis Region - Creating A Future High Technology Workforce

兰肯技术学院正在与圣路易斯公立学校、圣路易斯地区商业委员会和圣路易斯儿童合作，实施这个“启动管道”项目。该项目为学生提供了连续的教育机会，从中学开始，继续通过至少2年的副学士学位和在高科技领域成功的工作安排，或转移到4年的学士学位课程。项目内容包括：通过暑期学院等课外活动，协调中学生的科学、数学、技术体验；高中、大学双招生教育项目；面向中学生的暑期企业实习体验；以工作为基础的综合学习组成部分，包括创造就业途径的学徒计划和中学教育工作者的专业发展。通过为学生和教师提供这一套协调的活动和机会，该项目正在努力实现以下目标：1)激励大量处境不利的学生（初中和高中学生）接受与高科技有关的职业教育；2)为参与的学生提供有效的同行和专业的指导计划，以促进学业和个人成就；3)在stem相关技术学科中建立高中到大学的学术桥梁计划，有效地鼓励教育进步和成就，从而获得AAS和学士学位，并获得行业认可的认证；4)制定注册实习和学徒计划，为圣路易斯地区的工业提供机会，并以与工作相关的能力为中心，从而增加就业机会；5)培养一支具有STEM教学技能的中学教师队伍；6)增加最终准备加入圣路易斯地区高科技公司高素质劳动力队伍的个人人数。通过关注来自STEM中代表性不足群体的经济弱势学生，该项目正在扩大参与者的数量，这些参与者有资格从事训练有素的技术人员的许多优秀职业，特别是在生物技术和先进制造业领域，这是圣路易斯地区的关键增长行业。该项目复制、扩展和加强了其他教育机构成功开展的各种项目，包括中弗吉尼亚社区学院、亚利桑那州立大学和爱达荷州立大学，通过这样做，圣路易斯的个人和组织聚集在一起，拥有成熟的承诺和专业知识，以确保学生的成功。该项目位于低收入、高少数民族的城市环境中，有可能成为如何实现长期影响的典范，消除或减轻代际贫困和低教育成就的一些周期性现实。

Ranken Technical College is partnering with the Saint Louis Public Schools, the Saint Louis Regional Business Council, and St. Louis for Kids to implement this "Priming the Pipeline" project. The project is providing a continuum of educational opportunities for students, beginning in middle school and continuing through the attainment of at least a 2-year Associate Degree and successful job placement in a high technology field, or transfer to a 4-year Bachelor Degree program. The project activities include coordination of science, math and technology-based experiences for middle school students through summer academies and other extra-curricular activities, a dual high school-college enrollment educational program, summer internship experiences in business and industry for secondary school students, a program to allow disconnected youth to revive their educational opportunities, integrated work-based learning components that include an apprenticeship program to create pathways to employment, and professional development for secondary school educators. Through the offering of this coordinated set of activities and opportunities for students and teachers, the project is working towards accomplishment of the following objectives: 1) motivating a significant number of disadvantaged students (middle school and high school grades) to pursue an education in high technology-related occupations; 2) providing an effective peer and professional mentoring program for participating students that promotes academic and personal achievement; 3) establishing a high school-to-college academic bridge program in STEM-related technical disciplines that effectively encourages educational advancement and achievement leading to AAS and BS degrees, and to industry-recognized certifications; 4) developing a registered internship and apprenticeship program that provides opportunities with St. Louis area industries, and that is centered on job-related competencies that lead to enhanced placement opportunities; 5) developing a cadre of secondary school teachers who demonstrate improved STEM teaching skills; and 6) increasing the number of individuals who will ultimately be prepared to join a highly qualified workforce serving St. Louis area high tech companies. By focusing on economically disadvantaged students from underrepresented groups in STEM, this project is expanding the pool of participants who are qualified for the many excellent careers available to trained technicians, particularly in the fields of biotechnology and advanced manufacturing, which are key growth industries in the St. Louis area. The project is replicating, extending, and enhancing various projects successfully conducted by other educational institutions, including Central Virginia Community College, Arizona State University, and Idaho State University, and in doing so is bringing together individuals and organizations in St. Louis with proven commitment and expertise to collaborate to ensure student success. This project is situated in a low-income, high minority urban setting, and has the potential to serve as a model for how to achieve long range effects that eliminate or mitigate some of the cyclical realities of generational poverty and low educational achievement.