A man in a dark room does coding on dual computer monitors.

Microsoft recently announced an initiative to support cybersecurity workforce training at community colleges across the country. The software company will reportedly provide scholarships or other financial assistance to 25,000 students over the next 4 years and support instructor professional development at 150 community colleges, in addition to free curriculum materials.

The efforts come in the wake of recent high profile cybersecurity breaches, such as the SolarWinds attack, that have alarmed policymakers and companies. 

Read more about the announcement in this article from Reuters.

A person on a laptop codes in alt text for a photo of a tree.

Industry contacts may express concerns about communication with potential hires who are blind or have low vision. Read through this tip sheet on Workplace Communication for Blind & Low Vision Employees from DeafTEC and AccessATE for helpful hints and resources to prepare you to discuss these topics with industry partners and advocate for your students.

This resource describes advice for one-on-one conversations and group communication, especially in settings such as meetings or video conferences. Readers interested in learning more can check out this blog post on Best Practices for Alternate Text from AccessATE.

AccessATE supports the work of the NSF-funded Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects and centers in making the materials and activities they develop more accessible for all students and faculty, including those with disabilities. The project aims to increase awareness and understanding of accessibility requirements and provide guidance, tools, and support that offers solutions and helps achieve compliance with accessibility standards.

ATE EPILOGUE project logo

The recently completed two-year study “Exploring Past Investment in Learning through Grant-funded Undergraduate Advanced Technology Education Centers (EPILOGUE)” released its comprehensive report earlier this year. The project sought to investigate the legacy of ATE centers, including the ideas, innovations, knowledge, and products developed by each center and how these continue to evolve and be employed in instructional settings. 

The findings in the report draw on interviews, archival documents, and public information from 10 ATE centers. Among the key findings, six major themes emerged: partnerships, team formation, leadership characteristics, creating an independent organization, the role of the National Visiting Committee, and the use of data and external evaluation.

Read the full report for more detailed findings and visit the project homepage for case studies, resource sheets, and other information.

A cartoon drawing of a visually impaired woman sitting on a cushion participating in a virtual meeting.

Potential employees often express concerns about accommodations or safety when hiring students who are blind or have low vision. Read through this Accommodations & Safety for Blind & Low Vision Employees tip sheet from DeafTEC and AccessATE for helpful hints and resources to prepare you to discuss these topics with industry partners and advocate for your students.

This resource covers accommodations such as assistive technology and accessible materials, tips for workplace safety, and additional useful resources. Readers interested in learning more can check out this blog post on Assistive Technologies for Blind & Low Vision Employees from AccessATE. 

AccessATE supports the work of the NSF-funded Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects and centers in making the materials and activities they develop more accessible for all students and faculty, including those with disabilities. The project aims to increase awareness and understanding of accessibility requirements and provide guidance, tools, and support that offers solutions and helps achieve compliance with accessibility standards.

A cartoon drawing showing a computer screen display with a person talking and closed captioning.

Potential employees often express concerns about accommodations or safety when hiring students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Read through this Workplace Accommodations and Safety for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Employees tip sheet from DeafTEC and AccessATE for helpful hints and resources to prepare you to discuss these topics with industry partners and advocate for your students.

This resource covers accommodations such as Automatic Speech Recognition applications and video captioning, tips for workplace safety, and additional useful resources. Readers interested in learning more can check out this blog post on Video Captioning for Accessibility from AccessATE.

AccessATE supports the work of the NSF-funded Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects and centers in making the materials and activities they develop more accessible for all students and faculty, including those with disabilities. The project aims to increase awareness and understanding of accessibility requirements and provide guidance, tools, and support that offers solutions and helps achieve compliance with accessibility standards.

Cover of the report, "A Framework for a Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core," from Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work

The ATE project Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work recently released a research paper that outlines recommendations for the integration of knowledge and skills in three key STEM areas: advanced digital literacy, data knowledge and analysis, and business knowledge and processes. The paper draws on research conducted with industry leaders, technicians, and STEM educators. 

Members of the ATE community will find much that is relevant to their own work, especially the report’s discussions of new programs to support emerging occupations and strategies to ensure the competitiveness of community college technical programs.

Readers can learn about the project and download the paper, “A Framework for Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core.”

A young woman with glasses smiles while sitting behind a laptop.

The League for Innovation is now accepting nominations for the 2021-2022 Terry O’Banion Student Technology Awards from League Alliance and Board member colleges. This award honors two deserving students who demonstrate a special talent in technology, passion about moving toward a career in technology, academic excellence, and strong financial need. Winners will receive $1,000 to be used for education expenses (e.g., tuition, fees) and a plaque commemorating their achievement. 

Each separately accredited League member institution may submit one nomination for the Student Technology Champion award and one nomination for the Student Developer Champion award. (Dual enrollment high school and early college students are not eligible.)

Nominations will be accepted through October 29, 2021. Please refer to the Terry O’Banion Student Technology Awards page to learn more. The guidelines page provides detailed nomination information. Contact Kelly Dooling with questions.

A man in a violet dress shirt edits a printed article with a pen.

The Journal of Advanced Technological Education (J ATE) is a new peer-reviewed technical journal focused on technician education at community colleges. J ATE is now welcoming submissions to be published in upcoming issues. For members of the ATE community, publishing in a peer-reviewed technical journal like J ATE will be an excellent way to disseminate work, promote technical education programs, and share research with like-minded educators and the wider technical education community. 

There is no cost to publish, access, and read the journal. In addition, there are no subscription or submission fees. J ATE authors are invited from ATE projects and centers, community college faculty, university education researchers, and industry personnel. Our target audience will include community and technical college faculty and staff, as well as K-12 educators, industry members, and those readers with interests in micro-nano technology and related fields, NSF ATE, and technician education. The journal is supported by the Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC) with participation from InnovATEBIO (The National Center for Bio Technologies), the National Center for Autonomous...

Due to continued concerns related to COVID-19 and in consideration of the safety and well-being of conference participants and staff, the AACC has decided to transition the 2021 ATE Conference from a hybrid to a fully virtual event.

The AACC anticipates that there will be several questions pertaining to the cancellation of the in-person event. To assist you, please consult this list of FAQs for questions pertaining to registration refunds, transfer of registrations to the virtual event, hotel and travel, and the Call for Sessions.

Please see ATE Central's PI Conference page for more information and resources.

Logo for EvaluATE, ATE resource evaluation hub.

EvaluATE is excited to share the call for submissions to recognize excellence in ATE evaluations. Evaluators, principal investigators, and program officers are encouraged to nominate evaluations of ATE projects, centers, and small, new to ATE projects.

EvaluATE is looking for evaluations that exemplify the qualities of outstanding evaluation, including usefulness to stakeholders, appropriateness of methods, and overall quality.

The deadline for submission is September 10, 2021. Submission forms and additional information can be found on the award website. Reach out to Lyssa Wilson Becho with any questions regarding the awards submission or review process.