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The National Science Foundation has announced that it will be granting $94 million in funding to four new Science and Technology Centers (STCs). These Centers, based at universities across the United States, focus on subjects ranging from cellular construction and mechanobiology to real-time functional imaging and charging particle beams. The STC Integrative Partnerships program forges collaborative relationships with universities, industry, and federal programs. These new centers will be added to a list of eight active Science and Technology Centers currently funded by the National Science Foundation.   

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The American Association of Community Colleges with the support of the National Science Foundation will hold the 23rd National ATE Principal Investigators Conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. October 23-26, 2016. 

Don't forget, the Showcase Session Deadline is Tuesday, September 20th and the Registration Deadline is Wednesday, September 28th. We hope to see you there!  

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The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) is pleased to announce its Call for Presentations for the 2017 International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence.

You are invited to submit a presentation proposal that addresses important issues facing today’s community and technical colleges. As a presenter, you will make a meaningful contribution to an outstanding conference; help colleagues examine the challenges, issues, and trends affecting community and technical colleges; extend your professional network, and return to campus with an invigorated outlook. If you’ve got a great idea for a presentation or know a colleague who does, now is the time to submit your proposal! 

The deadline for submissions is January 9th.

For more information visit: http://www.nisod.org/?q=products/conference 

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The 2016 High Impact Technology Exchange Conference (HI-TEC) will be held July 25-28th in Pittsburgh. This esteemed conference provides an opportunity for educators, technicians, industry professionals, and workforce development advocates to update their knowledge about new skills and emerging technologies. A variety of scientific disciplines will be discussed and attendees will have the option to customize their experience by choosing from a selection of pre-conference workshops and site tours.

Advance conference registration will be open until July 11th, with the possibility of onsite registration during the event. For more information or to register please visit: http://www.highimpact-tec.org

We hope to see you there – ATE Central will be at Booth #612! 

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In February we told you about the Community College Research Center (CCRC) and the Aspen Institute’s plan to develop and release a “playbook” to help two- and four-year institutions design and implement effective transfer polices. Recently released, The Transfer Playbook is available as a free PDF and discusses practices, strategies, and activities to improve transfer student outcomes. The Playbook identifies pitfalls in the transfer process and offers three approaches for evading them and streamlining the path for students and counselors alike. This includes examining program pathways, orientation, advising, and financial aid as essentials components. 

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Conferences and meetings play such an important role for all of us as we work to disseminate information about the valuable impacts and outcomes of our ATE projects and centers.

NISOD's annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence provides a wonderful opportunity to spread the word about ATE. The conference attracts educators from around the world and serves as a gathering place for community and technical college faculty, administrators, and staff seeking to engage in deep conversations about best practices and promising approaches crafted to improve student achievement.

Advance conference registration will be open until May 27th, with the possibility of onsite registration during the event.

We look forward to seeing you there – please stop by and visit us in booth 209!

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ATE Central is pleased to announce an exciting new webinar on the importance of digital archiving for the ATE community. On May 24, 2016 at 1 pm EDT, Kendra Bouda and Rachael Bower will discuss what digital archiving is, why archiving benefits ATE, and how ATE Central can help with your project or center’s archiving efforts. Whether you’re just getting started with ATE and want to learn how to meet NSF requirements, or you've been part of the community for a while, come join us to learn more about sustaining and sharing your project deliverables beyond the life of your ATE funding.

Registration details for this webinar can be found here.

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Detroit is joining the growing list of communities offering exciting new opportunities for high school students: graduate and receive funding for the first two years of college. Aptly titled the Detroit Promise, the city’s 2016 graduates will be the first students eligible for the scholarship, which will build upon the Detroit Scholarship Fund. Under the program, tuition and fees will be covered for up to three years, or the time required to earn an associate degree, whichever comes first, at one of five metro community colleges: Henry Ford, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, or Schoolcraft College. Additionally, plans are in the works for a pilot scholarship program that will cover four-year university degrees as well.

For more information about Detroit’s free college degree programs, see articles in The Detroit News, CNN Money, and other news outlets

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Note -- Completed application packages must be postmarked by March 6, 2016.

Texas A&M University will be hosting a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)​​ site this summer from June 13 to July 22, 2016. The six-week program in Mechatronics, Robotics, and Industrial Automation includes a research project with faculty members, a number of special topic presentations and site tours, and the opportunity to develop an instructional module related to the research participants will be engaging with throughout the process. Upon completion, participants will implement their instructional modules at their home institutions, assess learning outcomes, and attend a one-day workshop to present results, share materials, and evaluate the experience. While participants receive a weekly stipend during their stay at Texas A&M and a payment at the end of the program, travel expenses are not included. Both two-year college and high school faculty in robotics and automation, engineering design and presentation, mechatronics, biotechnology, programming, manufacturing, engineering mathematics, principles of technology, scientific research and design, and electronics...