Image of the Mentor-Connect logo.

Community college faculty who have had ATE project proposals declined during the past 24 months are eligible for help from Mentor-Connect’s  Second-Chance Mentoring to re-apply for funding. Second-Chance Mentoring provides faculty teams with advice from an experienced mentor to rework and resubmit ATE grant proposals.

The application deadline is April 1. But Mentor-Connect responds within days to Second-Chance Mentoring applications so work with a mentor can begin ASAP.

Image of the AACC CCIC banner.

Do you know a student with an entrepreneurial spirit and an interest in STEM? 

AACC, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, is inviting community college students to participate in the 2021 Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC). 

The CCIC is a national competition where community college student teams, working with a faculty or administrator team mentor, use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to innovate solutions to real-world problems, attend a Virtual Innovation Boot Camp, and compete for cash awards. 

The Virtual Innovation Boot Camp provides professional development, mentoring, and coaching designed to build strategic communication and entrepreneurial skills to help students advance their innovations in both the public and private sectors. The Boot Camp culminates in a virtual poster session and engagement opportunity with STEM leaders and Congressional stakeholders, and a pitch presentation in front of a panel of industry professionals to determine the first, second, and third place winning teams.

Diverse and interdisciplinary teams that include students in STEM, business, humanities, and other fields are encouraged to ...

Image of the Mentor-Connect logo.

The purpose of this webinar is to help those who have not been funded by NSF to develop fundable proposals. Topics include how to prepare a budget for your NSF ATE grant, what to include in each budget category, how to prepare a budget justification, how to align the budget and project description, and how to avoid common errors.

This event will take place on Mar 17, 2021  at 1:00 pm ET. Those interested in participating should register to attend.

Image of the Scott Wright Student Essay Contest logo.

Held in honor of former Community College Week editor Scott Wright, this annual essay contest asks participants to complete a 500-word essay on "a faculty member, staff member, or administrator who encouraged them to complete a course, finish a semester, or graduate from college and how that encouragement helped them reach their goal(s)."

Three students will be selected as winners, with both the authors and featured individual receiving $1,000 checks. The student winners will also gain a complimentary 2021-2022 NISOD membership and be featured on NISOD's website. Essays will be evaluated on the basis of content, originality, clarity, organization, conciseness, and grammar.

Those interested in participating should submit by the March 12 deadline.

A young woman in a blazer participates in a video conference.

The market for instructional media (examples - technology tools, environments, etc.) is very saturated. This webinar will discuss the importance of selecting appropriate media in your instructional process. We will look at example situations and discuss the rationale for selecting appropriate tools.

The event will take place on Feb 23, 2021 at 02:00 pm ET. Those interested in participating should register to attend.

Image of the 2021 STEM For All Video Showcase banner.

This year's STEM For All Video Showcase invites participants to "share your federally funded project to improve STEM & CS education by submitting a 3-minute video. Discuss it online with researchers, educators, policy makers and the public." The event will center on the theme STEM for All: COVID, Equity & Social Justice.

The event will take place online between May 11-18, 2021. Those interested in participating should register by February 12. Then, presenters must submit a video by April 15.

AAAS annual meeting logo.

This year's American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting will convene online February 8-11.

The event will feature a variety of scientific sessions, topical lectures, and plenary lectures, as well as workshops on topics such as advocacy and career development. As of January 19, attendees can also access "a video library of pre-recorded Spotlight Videos." The event will include an exchange space for networking. A full program is available on the conference website.

Those interested in participating should register to attend.

Image of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) logo.

Has your college been an ATE grantee? Did you have a "New to NSF" grant? Keep the momentum going! Take advantage of what ATE funding can do for your college's technician education programs and students by "Moving Up" to an ATE Project. What will help make your proposal be more competitive? How do requirements and reviewer expectations change when you take the next step? Where can you get help to make your proposal more competitive? Learn the answers to these questions along with strategies, insider tips, and mistakes to avoid in seeking your next ATE grant.

PRESENTERS: 

Elaine Craft, PI, Mentor-Connect (DUE 1501183 and 1840856) and other NSF ATE Grants (SCATE Center Director, retired), Florence-Darlington Technical College, SC
Elaine.Craft@fdtc.edu

Elizabeth (Liz) Teles, Former NSF ATE Program Director, Co-PI on two ATE Mentor-UP awards (DUE 1931264 and 2032835), VA
ejteles@yahoo.com

Pamela Silvers, PI, Computer Technologies Instructor, Skilled Workers Get Jobs NSF Grant (DUE 1800920), Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech), NC
pamelajsilvers@abtech.edu

Register to attend here. The event is scheduled for Thursday, March 11, 2021 12:00pm -...

Image of the EvaluATE 2021 Webchats banner.

EvaluATE webchats are an opportunity for small groups of ATE evaluation community members to come together to share and learn from each other in real time. Anyone interested in evaluation is welcome to attend. Participants are encouraged to turn on their webcams and join in the conversation, offering a great opportunity to network.

Upcoming webchats will cover a variety of subjects including:

• January 26: The ATE Annual Survey
• February 23: Data Collection
• March 23: ATE Proposals
• April 27: Evaluation Reporting
• May 25: Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

Those interested in attending can resgister at the links included above. A full schedule of the 2021 webchats is avilable on the EvaluATE website's Webchats page. All webchats are held virtually from 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET on the dates listed.

Image of the NSF logo.

The NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) in collaboration with AAAS will offer an Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) webinar focusing on opportunities for funding in the IUSE: EHR program, specifically associated with expectations of the IUSE solicitation, NSF 19-601. An audio archive and slides will be posted after the webinar at https://aaas-iuse.org.

The IUSE: EHR program “seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for all undergraduates.” The program supports proposals interested in improving undergraduate education, developing faculty expertise, preparing K-12 teachers, and providing all undergraduate students with STEM competencies and a basic understanding of STEM concepts and principles. All projects must contribute to the body of knowledge about what works in undergraduate STEM education and the conditions that lead to improved STEM teaching and learning. The Level 1 and Building Capacity tiers encourage submission from investigators and institutions that have not received prior IUSE: EHR funding.