Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center: Resources to Improve Water Environmental Technology Education

由于对水源可获得性、基础设施老化、水质、补救和劳动力问题的担忧，供水和废水技术员的工作岗位增长速度快于平均水平。这些工作是受监管的，不能外包，并能在经济低迷中幸存下来，因为人类需要清洁的饮用水和废水处理来保障健康。此外，企业和工业需要清洁的水和废水处理来安全地生产商品和服务。先进技术环境教育中心将支持水环境技术领域领导力和项目能力的发展。为了实现这一目标，先进技术环境教育中心将为全国的高中、技术和社区学院以及ATE社区提供教材、专业协会、商业和行业信息、联系人、研究、评估和指导。先进技术环境教育中心将：1)更新现有网站并创建一个新的教育者信息工具箱；2)支持和指导未来的PI启动或改进水环境技术项目；3)协调和支持更多的水环境技术企业、行业和学术合作伙伴关系；4)促进水环境技术领域的技术员职业生涯和公众形象；4)筛选、验证、更新和广泛分发材料、课程、教学实践、项目和适当来源，包括支持新材料机构的改编和实施；以及5)连接和支持水环境技术领域内的绩效指标。预计先进技术环境教育中心材料和课程的广泛使用将导致水环境技术工作中技术人员的数量增加，帮助国家满足先进技术领域对熟练、多样化劳动力的日益增长的需求。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Water and wastewater technician jobs are growing faster than average amid concerns about source water availability, aging infrastructure, water quality, remediation, and workforce issues. These jobs are regulated, cannot be outsourced, and survive economic downturn because humans need clean drinking water and wastewater treatment for health. In addition, businesses and industries need clean water and wastewater treatment to safely produce goods and services. The Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center will support growth of leadership and program capacity in water environmental technology. To achieve this goal, the Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center will provide the nation's high schools, technical and community colleges, and the ATE community with educational materials, professional association, and business and industry information, contacts, research, evaluation, and mentoring.The Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center will: 1) update the current website and create a new Toolbox for educator information; 2) support and mentor prospective PIs to start or improve water environmental technology programs; 3) coordinate and support additional water environmental technology business, industry and academic partnerships; 4) promote technician careers and the public image in the water environmental technology field; 4) screen, validate, update and broadly distribute materials, curricula, pedagogical practices, projects and appropriate sources including supporting the adaption and implementation at new institutions of materials; and 5) connect and support PIs within the water environmental technology area. It is expected that broader use of Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center materials and curricula will result in an increased number of technicians in water environmental technology jobs, helping the Nation meet the growing need for a skilled, diverse workforce in advanced technology fields.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.