The National Science Foundation (NSF) annually funds approximately 12,000 new awards, with an average funding duration of three years. Each year some of those new awards are supported by the ATE Program, which focuses on improving and expanding educational programs for skilled workers in high-tech STEM fields. ATE grantees concentrate on a range of fields, including advanced manufacturing, agriculture and environment, bio and chemical, information and security, and micro and nanotechnologies and are based primarily at two-year institutions across the nation. This year we celebrate our new grantees by highlighting four newly funded projects from the 2024 funding cycle. 

Southwestern College Micro-Nano Technology Technical Education Certificate Program

This project addresses the critical national need for a well-prepared workforce in micro- and nano-technology (MNT), a field with growing significance in sectors like electronics, energy security, and biotechnology. MNT involves engineering systems to manipulate matter at micro- and nano-scales, leading to novel technologies with special properties. Despite its importance, opportunities for two-year college students to prepare for MNT careers are limited. The project aims to provide structured educational opportunities for traditional and non-traditional students, particularly from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, to gain the skills necessary for entry-level technical careers in MNT. Key objectives include creating pathways to high-tech careers, developing a mentoring program, recruiting STEM students, refining the curriculum with industry input, and sharing the project's pedagogical model with other institutions. Partnerships with the University of California at San Diego and the Pennsylvania State University Microelectronics and Nanomanufacturing Consortium for Veterans will offer hands-on training and enhance the curriculum, ensuring graduates are ready to enter the MNT workforce.

The Cyber Fellows Advanced Technological Education (ATE) project at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is cracking the code for growing a corps of educators to teach cybersecurity.  

Cyber Fellows Principal Investigator Thomas “Tony” W. Brown III explained that the ATE grant awarded by the National Science Foundation in 2021 has been a catalyst for the college to increase its adjunct cybersecurity faculty from six in fall 2021 to 13 in fall 2023. Seven of the 13 instructors were women, and six of the 13 were individuals from racial and ethnic populations historically underrepresented in cybersecurity.

“We were very fortunate to get this grant, and they [the National Science Foundation] essentially gave us everything that we asked for,” Brown said. In addition to leading the Cyber Fellows project, Brown is department chair of Forsyth Tech’s Davis iTec Cybersecurity Center and program coordinator for network management at the North Carolina college.

The ATE grant covers the tuition and related costs for middle school and high school educators to take four cybersecurity courses at Forsyth Tech and a two-week boot camp to prepare for the CompTIA Security+ exam. The grant also covers the fee for the exam, which is the current industry standard for entry-level cybersecurity roles.

Educators who complete the four-course curriculum for Cyber Fellows earn Forsyth Tech’s Information Technology (IT)-Cybersecurity certificate and receive a $250 stipend; those who take the industry exam receive another $250 stipend. The Cyber Fellows also receive travel support to attend one professional conference.

Victoria Ferrell, who was in the first cohort of six Cyber Fellows in 2021, said she was “blown away” by the incentives when she heard Brown’s recruitment pitch to the staff at a GenCyber summer program where she was working. “It kept getting better and better,” she said of the list of benefits.

After more than two decades as a high school career and technical education teacher Ferrell zipped through the required cybersecurity courses at Forsyth Tech and became an adjunct instructor in fall 2022. When the program coordinator position for the department opened, she applied for it and was hired by the college. She is now a co-principal investigator of the Cyber Fellows grant.  

Brown and Ferrell were interviewed via Zoom for this ATE Impacts Blog post. Their article “K-12 Educational Cybersecurity Scaling Program Designed to Meet Industry Needs” in the Journal of Advanced Technological Education (J ATE)  explains the project’s effort to equip educators “to cultivate a future generation of cybersecurity professionals,” bridge the cybersecurity talent gap, and foster diversity.

Brown and Ferrell were among the 11 teams of community college educators who participated in J ATE Connect, which provided coaches to community college educators who had not previously written and submitted manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. 

The  Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Community continues to thrive, marked by significant accomplishments and initiatives that are advancing technological education and fostering diverse talent in community college STEM fields. In this post, we highlight recent innovations and achievements from grantees and provide links to previous posts that provide more details. 

Expanding Horizons with GEOBRIDGES

The GEOBRIDGES program at Central Wyoming College (CWC) is making significant strides in its mission to diversify and strengthen the geospatial workforce. Now in its second summer, GEOBRIDGES utilizes ATE funding to offer stipends for students engaging in applied geospatial science and technology research in the Wind River Mountains. In 2023, 20 students participated, with 30% being Native Americans from local tribal communities. The program offers courses that contribute to CWC's Expedition Science certificate and associate degree, preparing students for entry-level technician roles. Students partake in fieldwork typically reserved for advanced undergraduates and graduates, including presenting at conferences and conducting scientific research.