The NACK National Network for Nanotechnology Workforce Development

美国国家纳米技术应用和职业知识中心(NACK)正在创建“NACK网络”，这一名称反映了将在美国各地发展的理念、结构和运作。其目标是加强微纳米制造劳动力教育资源、计划和活动的全国性协调和传播，并促进美国纳米技术劳动力的增长。将采用的方法包括推进NACK方法：(1)社区学院之间以及社区学院和研究型大学之间的资源共享；(2)提供提供一套业界推荐的核心纳米技术技能的课程材料；(3)强调广泛的学生为在任何利用微或纳米技术的行业就业做准备；以及(4)在全美国发展经济上可行的、高质量的纳米技术教育。NACK网络的方法还包括进一步扩大其社区学院/大学和社区学院/社区学院资源共享中心的联盟，包括增加虚拟中心。为支持该网络和所有美国社区大学纳米技术教育努力，该网络在其网站www.nan4me.org上提供最新的免费核心技能课程讲座和实验材料、招聘材料、保留和完成方法、网络可访问的设备能力以及教师发展研讨会课程。此外，NACK网络正在制定和传播其核心技能课程讲座和实验材料的评估标准，并继续与业界合作，将其核心技能制度化，纳入行业标准。NACK网络继续提供广受欢迎的教师发展讲习班，并正在通过增强功能和进一步加强社交网络工具，进一步扩大其在www.nan4me.org上的传播方法。招募、留住和完成教育是NACK网络范围内的关键努力，包括解决这些问题的新任务，因为这些问题影响到退伍军人、西班牙裔、非裔美国人和妇女。智力价值：Nack活动的智力价值在于他们致力于、研究、试验和评估有效的实践方法，以(1)激励来自美国社会和地理范围的学生考虑纳米技术职业；(2)提高学生的保留率、完成率和未来的职业机会；(3)定义和发展示范纳米技术劳动力教育计划；以及(4)帮助大学制定经济上可持续的纳米技术劳动力计划。基于对其产品和服务的智力内容的积极反馈，Continue对社区的价值观和需求有一个清晰的愿景。更广泛的影响：Nack Network的材料、实践和服务正在美国各地产生广泛影响。他们在www.nan4me.org上的现成版本正在加强中等和社区大学教育，特别是STEM教育。NACK研讨会将来自全国各地的教师和管理人员聚集在一起，使全国对纳米技术教育的需求和要求、方法、资源和可持续性问题有了更好的了解。此外，Nack的合作/资源共享方法是科技教育各个方面的典范。NACK网络为有效的、工作的、社区学院/社区学院和社区学院/研究型大学资源共享关系建立了全国范围的经验基础。总体而言，Nack Network活动的智力优势和广泛影响对美国的纳米技术劳动力和美国工业的全球竞争力具有深远的重要性。

The National ATE Center for Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge (NACK) is creating the "NACK Network", a designation that reflects the philosophy, structure, and operation to be developed across the U.S. The objectives are enhanced national coordination and dissemination of micro-nanofabrication workforce educational resources, programs, and activities, and enhanced growth of the US nanotechnology workforce. The methods to be employed include pressing forward the NACK approaches of (1) resource sharing among community colleges as well as among community colleges and research universities; (2) providing course materials that deliver a core set of industry-recommended nanotechnology skills; (3) stressing broad student preparation for careers in any industry utilizing micro- or nanotechnology; and (4) developing economically viable, quality nanotechnology education across the U.S. NACK Network methods also include further expansion of its alliance of community college/university and community college/community college resource-sharing hubs, including the addition of virtual hubs. To support this network and all U.S. community college nanotechnology education efforts, the Network offers up-dated and free-of-charge core skills course lecture and lab materials, recruiting materials, retention and completion approaches, web-accessible equipment capability, and faculty development workshop curricula at its web site www.nano4me.org. In addition the NACK Network is developing and disseminating an assessment rubric for its core skill course lecture and lab materials, and continues to work with industry to have its core skills institutionalized into industry standards. The NACK Network continues to offer its well-received faculty development workshops and is further expanding its dissemination methodologies at www.nano4me.org with enhanced functionality and the further enhancement of social networking tools. Recruitment, retention, and education completion are key NACK Network-wide endeavors and include new tasks addressing these issues as they impact veterans, Hispanics, African-Americans, and women. Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of NACK's activities lies in their addressing, researching, experimenting with, and evaluating effective-practice approaches for (1) motivating students from across the U.S. social and geographic spectrum to consider careers in nanotechnology; (2) enhancing student retention, completion, and future career opportunities; (3) defining and evolving a model nanotechnology workforce education program, and (4) helping to develop economically sustainable nanotechnology workforce programs in colleges. Based on positive feedback on the intellectual content of its products and services, the continuation has a clear vision of what the community values and needs. Broader Impacts: The NACK Network materials, practices and services are having a broad impact across the US. Their ready-availability at www.nano4me.org is strengthening secondary and community college education, in particular, and STEM education, in general. NACK workshops bring faculty and administrators together from across the country and have resulted in a better national understanding of nanotechnology education demands and requirements, approaches, resources, and sustainability issues. In addition, NACK's partnering/resource-sharing approach is a model for all aspects of science and technology education. The NACK Network establishes a nation-wide experiential basis for effective, working, community college/community college and community college/research university resource sharing relationships. In their totality, the intellectual merit and broad impact of the NACK Network activities are profoundly important to the nation's nanotechnology workforce, and to the global competitiveness of U.S. industry.