Workshop on Replication of a Community-Engaged Educational Ecosystem

美国国家工程院将解决“复杂的社会问题”确定为21世纪的重大挑战。该项目旨在通过培养工程师在能够应对此类复杂挑战的跨学科团队中工作来服务于国家利益。 圣母大学通过公民创新中心，在印第安纳州领导了先前的工作，称为鲍曼溪教育生态系统项目。 通过这个项目，来自大学、社区学院和高中的学生和教职员工与社区团体、当地企业和市政府合作，解决雨水管理和废弃财产再利用等复杂问题。 在他们的工作中，学生们开发了重要的STEM技能，以及21世纪的技能，如批判性思维和协作。本次研讨会将探讨如何在其他去工业化城市复制鲍曼信条教育生态系统的成功。 将本科工程专业的学生暴露于跨学科和社会相关的问题解决有可能告知学生的职业选择和作为工程师的准备。 此外，有成功的工程职业生涯，工程本科生必须学会跨部门，包括非政府组织，政府机构和行业的专业人士合作。 拟议的讲习班将为推广实现这两个目标的战略奠定基础。 具体而言，研讨会将探讨如何复制印第安纳州的鲍曼溪教育生态系统在扬斯敦，俄亥俄州和伊利，宾夕法尼亚州的社区。 与会者将包括学术界，市政府和其他社区合作伙伴的代表，讨论鲍曼溪教育生态系统的演变，并推广社区教育生态系统模型，建立实践社区，确定复制的障碍，并确定资助模式。 研讨会组织者计划通过技术报告、Metrolab网络（一个致力于公民和大学合作的组织）会议以及在美国工程学会会议等聚会上的会议演讲来传播成果。 该项目由NSF改善本科STEM教育计划：教育和人力资源（IUSE：EHR）计划支持，该计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过机构和社区转型轨道，该计划支持努力改善和转变高等教育机构和学科社区的STEM教育。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The National Academy of Engineering identified solving “complex social issues” as a grand challenge for the 21st century. This project aims to serve the national interest by preparing engineers to work in interdisciplinary teams that can address such complex challenges. The University of Notre Dame, through the Center for Civic Innovation, led prior work in Indiana known as the Bowman Creek Educational Ecosystem project. Through this project, students and faculty from universities, community colleges, and high school worked together with community groups, local businesses, and city government on complex problems such as storm water management and the reuse of abandoned properties. During their work, the students developed important STEM skills, as well as 21st century skills, such as critical thinking and collaboration. This workshop will explore how to replicate the successes of the Bowman Creed Educational Ecosystem in other deindustrialized cities. Exposing undergraduate engineering students to interdisciplinary and socially relevant problem solving has the potential to inform students’ career choices and preparation as engineers. In addition, to have successful engineering careers, engineering undergraduates must learn to work with professionals across sectors that include non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and industry. The proposed workshop will lay the groundwork to replicate a strategy for accomplishing both goals. Specifically, the workshop will explore how to replicate Indiana’s Bowman Creek Educational Ecosystem in communities in Youngstown, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania. Participants will include representatives of academia, city government, and other community partners to discuss evolution of the Bowman Creek Educational Ecosystem, and to generalize the Community-Engaged Educational Ecosystem model, build a community of practice, identify barriers to replication, and determine funding models. Workshop organizers plan to disseminate results through technical reports, a meeting of the Metrolab Network (an organization devoted to civic and university partnerships), and a conference presentation at a gathering such as the American Society for Engineering conference. This project is supported by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) Program, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Institutional and Community Transformation track, the program supports efforts to improve and transform STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities.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.