K-20/Industry Coalition (Modified for the web)
Abstract
The Wayne-Finger Lakes Board of Cooperative Educational Services (WFL
BOCES) is an educational services agency supporting 25 component public school
districts in
Intellectual Merit: KIC
is being organized to help WFL BOCES develop new curriculum, improve connections
with engineering schools and increase regional cooperation.
Economic change in the
KIC will rely on reports and advice from the four county and regional economic development and workforce development groups. KIC will also relay its findings to these same groups. WFL BOCES schools strive to involve all of their students in our conservation efforts. Both campuses are open for visits from area students and teachers. Where possible, WFL BOCES use physical means or electronic to communicate with the 25 component school districts directly, or through our Eductech network and distance learning system.
Broader Impacts: KIC will help WFL BOCES expand our relationships with institutes of higher learning from two year schools to post graduate schools. In addition, we will seek to involve the participation of industry and professional associations to help determine the kinds of education that helps to develop a well rounded and diverse work force. KIC participants are very interested in establishing special mentoring programs for high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, and technicians conducting research. Students will be encouraged to participate at meetings and activities of professional societies. KIC will help those organizations devise content that is age appropriate for invited guests.
The focus of KIC is to create a partnership between existing groups to promote teaching, training and learning in science, math and engineering at all educational levels. WFL BOCES is engaged in the process to recruit, train, and encourage the professional development of K-12 science and math teachers. Together with KIC, WFL BOCES will develop, adopt, adapt and disseminate effective models and pedagogic approaches to science, mathematics and engineering teaching. KIC will propose initiatives that incorporate engineering and technical research into learning and education at the high school, middle school and elementary level. For middle school and elementary education, KIC will explore ways in which students may use out of school time to engage in entertaining activities with their peers or parents.
As a service organization, WFL BOCES provides specialty services to a variety of underrepresented and challenged groups. We strongly encourage underrepresented groups to participate in all educational activities. KIC will ensure that system, structure, and process changes and improvements ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its federally-assisted program for students, teachers, parents, and other beneficiaries with special needs. KIC and WFL BOCES will participate in conferences, workshops and field activities where diversity is a priority. We will seek to maximize research and education collaborations with faculty and students at community colleges, colleges for women, undergraduate institutions, and EPSCoR institutions.
Innovations in Engineering Education, Curriculum, and Infrastructure Proposal
The Wayne-Finger Lakes Board of Cooperative
Educational Services (WFL BOCES) is an educational services agency supporting 25
component public school districts in
WFL BOCES enables school districts to share and cooperate in programs and activities that would not be possible on an individual district basis. WFL BOCES has two Technical and Career Centers and it serves 25 component school districts. WFL BOCES seeks to formalize and strengthen our community relationships with the engineering and advanced manufacturing community and provide research that helps attract a more talented and diverse student body into engineering and technology fields. WFL BOCES seeks the help of our community partners to increase the quality and diversity in programs designed to encourage more students to consider the field of engineering.
Our Exploratory Project will develop “Strategic Supply-Chain Partnership for Engineering and Technology” academic and industry partners outside of WFL BOCES’ traditional role in the K-12 educational community. WFL BOCES will develop a "pipeline" of engineering and technical students with the consultation of engineering schools, industry groups, workforce agencies, economic development organizations, and professional associations.
WFL BOCES is pursuing a Science, Technology, Engineering
& Math (STEM) initiative through the use of a strong record of innovation,
sharing, diversity, and measurable outcomes.
WFL BOCES has sponsored, cosponsored, or supported three region wide
seminars on the global economy, US
competitiveness, and upstate
Quality, Relevance, and Impact
WFL BOCES curriculum development and community
efforts have led to a broader discussion of an initiative to encourage a greater
number of students to consider careers in engineering.
WFL BOCES (together with its two Technical and
The urban areas in the vicinity of WFL BOCES
include both
Large cities in western Upstate New York have experienced a substantial decline of traditional employment opportunities in engineering and technical fields. Market influencers such as Kodak, IBM, Xerox, and others do not enjoy the market share that they held in past decades. Smaller advanced manufacturing, high technology and alternative energy companies in the region continue to seek qualified employees, but they have difficulty making the community aware that there are significant opportunities in careers requiring engineers. The smaller companies seek qualified employees but have difficulty locating the required talent necessary to sustain their operations and growth.
“The Genesee/Finger Lakes region was one of thirteen regions in the United States chosen for a three year $15 million grant from the United States Department of Labor” WIRED Initiative.” (1) “The purpose of the WIRED Initiative is to prepare regions to compete in the knowledge based economy where talent is a key factor to success. The initiative connects three key elements of successful regions in this competitive national and global economic environment – [1] workforce development, [2] innovation and entrepreneurship, and [3] economic development.” (2)
WFL BOCES is a participant in Finger Lakes WIRED (FL WIRED) with 21 organizations that have joined together to support regional economic growth, leveraging resources to increase the talents of its workers, entrepreneurs and inventors, all of which will amplify the region's capacity for innovation and the creation of wealth. FL WIRED has identified targeted industry clusters to focus its collaborative efforts on developing, supporting and marketing. FL WIRED supports efforts that encourage youth to explore the possibilities linked to studies in STEM and enhance awareness of the region as a premier locale for STEM-based career opportunities.
WFL BOCES will align its initiatives with leaders in these targeted clusters and regional leadership in order to strengthen connections, increase cooperation and further develop curriculum and student resources. The targeted cluster industries are Optics and Imaging; Biotech and Life Sciences; Food/Beverage and Agriculture; Advanced Manufacturing; and Alternative Energy. Each of these fields requires specific specialty training in engineering and technology in order to support a modern workforce supporting these clusters.
Establishing Better Partnerships in Upstate
K-20+/INDUSTRY
COALITION (KIC)
Genesee-Finger Lakes Region engineering schools and industry have created formal and well developed partnerships, but there are few similar partnerships between the leadership of the K-12 schools and engineering schools. WFL BOCES seeks to create an environment in which it can work with Finger Lakes Region engineering schools and industry groups to develop a strategic partnership for the benefit the future education and the careers of our students within 25 component school districts.
The Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester
Institute of Technology will join with WFL BOCES, institutes of higher
education, industry and professional associations to establish a partnership to
foster and promote the academic, research and economic development capabilities
of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region. The
partnership will communicate with the Economic Development and Workforce
organizations in the region in order to support the further develop of
technology led development in the region.
RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) is the first of its kind in the nation, and focuses on research and education in sustainable design, pollution prevention, remanufacturing and alternative energy development. The multidisciplinary effort seeks to educate government and environmental policy makers on the needs of industry, enhancing communication and cooperation between all decision makers. The institute’s first graduate degree, a Ph.D. in sustainability, is now in the development stages and the institute anticipates admitting students in the fall of 2008.
RIT’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies (CIMS) was established in 1992 to increase the competitiveness of
CIMS’ 170,000 square-foot facility supports solution developments in 6 manufacturing bays, 21 specialized technology-based laboratories and a 400-seat training center with state-of-the-art capabilities. Since its inception, CIMS has completed thousands of projects helping companies identify needs and develop solutions, and provided training to tens of thousands of participants from around the world. CIMS has developed capabilities, experience, equipment, and technology in select focus areas that are critical to developing fuel cells for stationary and mobile applications. CIMS has successfully developed a process for one component for a NYS fuel cell manufacturing firm and is currently working to scale-up the process for production.
WFL BOCES and leaders of institutes of higher education (institutes of higher education), industry and professional associations will form the K-20+/INDUSTRY COALITION (KIC). The Project Director, Mr. Joseph S. Galante of WFL BOCES, with Paul Stiebitz, (Associate Academic Director) and Mark Coleman (Senior. Program Manager) of the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology will host meetings at WFL BOCES facilities. Beginning with a Memorandum of Understanding, WFL BOCES schools and 25 component school districts will work with engineering schools, industry and professional associations to develop projects which lead to "improved retention, graduation rates, and the successful career trajectories of engineering graduates” in the Finger Lakes Region.
Goal 1: Establishing Connections and Increasing Cooperation: KIC will help WFL BOCES explore ways in which existing programs in our 25 component school districts can increase interest in engineering and technology education and careers. KIC will propose changes to academic programs, articulation agreements with as well as a variety of content designed for out of school time, interaction with parents, new online content, new course materials and other new age appropriate ideas at high school, middle school and elementary school.
STEM skill development is required at a very early age for
our future engineers, but not every student who is identified for accelerated
early education in elementary or middle school will become an engineer.
More important, students who are not identified for accelerated programs
at an early age can express an aptitude for engineering and technology at a
later age. WFL BOCES needs help from
institutes of higher education and industry to develop ways to involve and
interest all of our students. We
have identified regional leadership within a variety of organizations:
Goal 1, Objective 1: Establishing Connections: The focus of KIC is to create a partnership between the leadership of existing groups to promote STEM teaching, training and learning at all educational levels. WFL BOCES is engaged in the process to recruit, train, and encourage the professional development of K-12 science and math teachers. Together with KIC, WFL BOCES will develop, adopt, adapt and disseminate effective models and pedagogic approaches to science, mathematics and engineering teaching. KIC will propose initiatives that incorporate engineering and technical research into learning and education at the high school, middle school and elementary level. For middle school and elementary education, KIC will explore ways in which students may use out of school time to engage in entertaining activities with their peers or parents.
WFL BOCES will partner with research and government scientists to communicate our learning to broader programs. KIC and WFL BOCES will participate in conferences, workshops and field activities where diversity is a priority. WFL BOCES sponsors, cosponsors, or supports regional seminars on a variety of topics with educators, government officials, businesses and the public. WFL BOCES also participates in interdisciplinary conferences, workshops, and engages in research activities. WFL BOCES integrates research with education activities in order to communicate in a broader context.
KIC will work to harmonize the educational objectives of
each organization in order to improve and diversify the “pipeline” of
engineering and technology students. Alone,
each of these groups focus on a particular aspect of the lack of engineers but
these individual groups do not have the resources to encourage a process which
may take over a decade (in the case of a middle school child who will graduate
with a four or five year engineering degree).
The lack of American and permanent resident students interested in
engineering will eventually lead to future declines in college enrollment.
As a support organization, WFL BOCES has the
means to align new KIC’s ideas with
Economic development and workforce agencies in the region are dependent upon technology led development. WFL BOCES has already shown leadership in the improvement of STEM development and WFL BOCES trains students for regional careers in technology clusters. KIC would also work with Federal, State or local agencies to develop policy initiatives. Economic Development and Workforce organizations will be provided with the results of KIC monthly meetings in order that they might better understand the efforts of KIC to encourage the development of engineering and technology related education and career development.
Goal 1, Objective 2: Increasing Cooperation: With the academic leadership of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and support from Alfred State, Cornell University, Finger Lakes Community College and Monroe Community College, WFL BOCES will work with industry groups to develop STEM programs aligned to the region’s economy. WFL BOCES has a variety of programs to help students in our school districts to earn credits that will be accepted within at institutes of higher education. KIC will further develop ideas in which students can earn those credits through new articulation agreements with WFL BOCES has a variety of programs to help students in our school districts to earn credits through a greater number of institutes of higher education. KIC will begin by reviewing the 4 or 5 existing articulation agreements in order to modernize those agreements and work with institutes of higher education to secure more agreements based on the modernized standards.
Infotonics, New Knowledge Fusion and academic
institutions in the region have access to a variety of programs NYSTAR programs.
NYSTAR funds world-class university/industry partnerships and promotes
outstanding high-technology research and commercialization efforts that
contribute to
CIMS has developed a Renewable Energy & Fuel Cell Research Laboratory to conduct applied research that addresses two related basic challenges associated with fuel cells: establishing and reducing their life-cycle costs, and reducing uncertainty associated with their reliability and endurance. The fuel cell laboratory supports scientific and academic research, industry outreach and training, and curriculum design and development. The laboratory also fosters advanced systems-oriented research in renewable energy technologies and systems integration; serves as a test-bed for statewide research in renewable energy; and helps facilitate state-of-the-art education and training to industry and the workforce of the future.
We welcome industry participation from members of Finger
Lakes Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise, Alternative Energy Task force of Wayne
County and additional support from Infotonics Technology Center, Finger
Lakes New Knowledge Fusion Rochester Area Colleges‘ Center for Excellence in
Math and Science. These groups will
help us work with institutes of higher education to develop curriculum and
activities that will encourage greater interest in engineering.
KIC will report its activities and research to Cornell Cooperative Extension, Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board,
Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council, Finger Lakes Wired and the
Economic Development agencies of
Finger
Lakes Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise (FAME) is a partnership of
manufacturers supported by regional workforce and economic development agencies
serving
FAME intends to develop our future leaders in order to sustain the vitality of our manufacturing sector to promote regional prosperity. Students who meet the core competencies in STEM are essential not only to the professional management of these companies, but the same skills are required of many workers. In addition, students need to develop SCANS (The Department of Labor, Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) skills in order to be able to better communicate with their future coworkers. The objective of the FAME's "Image and Pipeline" committee is to spark students' interest in pursuing advance manufacturing careers which require engineering, technology and STEM skills.
Alternative Energy Task Force of Wayne County (AETFWC) has provided inspiration and support to several WFL BOCES alternative and renewable energy initiatives. AETFWC goals include reducing and controlling costs, fostering cooperation and promoting economic growth.
The Rochester Area Colleges is a consortium of 19 colleges and universities in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Regions that has created the Center for Excellence in Math and Science, a unique collaborative effort to leverage individual institutional resources to address the quality and quantity of the STEM career talent pool. The Center’s initial strategic focus has been on increasing the number and quality of K-12 teachers as an essential means to achieving its student-based mission. Among it many programs it is sponsoring a series of high quality STEM professional development for area teachers and it has also proposed a collaborative STEM distance learning program using a WFL-BOCES EduTech network called LakeNet.
Goal 1,
Objective 3: Encouraging Students:
The process of encouraging students to become involved in engineering and
technology can exceed a decade. Progress
of students in the first year of the grant can be measured by the variation from
a baseline for clusters of students at the high school and middle school levels.
Course choices are easier to determine for students in the high school
clusters as will be seniors’ choices in further education from institutes of
higher education. Middle school data
will be reflected in math and science scores from year over year testing.
In addition to standardized national testing,
Economic change in the Finger Lakes Region has shifted employment from large companies to smaller companies, but those smaller companies require the skills of trained engineers and scientists. Government, hospitals, tourism and service jobs are prevalent employers within the four county region, but many higher paying engineering and technology positions go unfilled. In order to obtain those better positions, students will need to have a sufficient background in STEM and an interest in further education in engineering and technology. KIC will rely on reports and advice from the four county and regional economic development and workforce development groups. KIC will also relay it findings to these same groups.
A population decline of income earning ages in Upstate New
York has led to the creation of a job market in the
Students may not be aware that there are more rigorous requirements for entry into engineering degree programs than for entry into two- and four- year college and university programs. Students will have an opportunity to visit area engineering schools within the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region. KIC will review and suggest alterations to at least 3- 5 articulation agreements.
KIC’s Future goals:
KIC will strengthen WFL BOCES partnerships between institutes of higher education, industry and professional associations. Although WFL BOCES is a participant in several workforce and economic development programs, the missions of these groups are not sufficiently specific to encourage students to pursue careers in engineering or technology.
KIC will work with area engineering schools to articulate "STEM" (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education programs that address the academic rigor required of students.
KIC will work with industry and professional groups to determine the appropriate qualities that they seek from employees. For example, employees who have the required academic skills also need to be able to work well in teams and communicate well with workers and management.
KIC will work with WFL BOCES two technical and career centers and its 25 component school districts to communicate the efforts of the project to administrators, parents, students and the community.
KIC will work with museums, nature centers, science centers, and similar institutions to develop exhibits in science, math, and engineering.
Communicate with schools over WFL BOCES LakeNet. Encourage both live and store and forward information to keep schools up to date.
Interaction with new Finger Lakes communications networks.
Expected Measurable Outcomes: Early KIC meetings will address such issues as:
How does each organization addresses their need to increase student interest in engineering or technology?
What weaknesses are in the student population seeking to enter engineering schools or gain employment?
What changes can WFL BOCES implement to communicate those needs to the 25 component school districts?
How can parent and community organizations become involved in the process?
Discuss events for the 25 component school districts to be held at Technical & Career Centers in which students and teachers can tour the facilities and learn about engineering and technology programs.
Project
Evaluation: KIC will conduct
a quarterly formative evaluation and a summative evaluation at the end of the
school year. The formative and summative reports will have full information
about the measurable, positive impact of our program.
Information gathered in throughout the program will serve as a foundation
for future career counseling for students. The classroom and career exploration
activities will be designed to help students to understand and explore what
careers are in demand in the Finger Lakes Region and in other parts of the
world. The programs will help individual student's identify suitable careers
that match their capabilities and desires. Academic achievement will be measured
by
Periodic evaluation will support the measurement of KIC activities including securing at least 5 modern articulation agreements from institutes of higher education; increased enrollment in elective STEM classes likely to lead to a foundation for engineering education; an increase in school and out of school activities which support or encourage students to consider STEM, engineering or technology courses; and new ideas that evolve from KIC over the course of the year.
Project
Reporting: Between
notification and award, KIC will begin introductory meetings in order to prepare
participants to provide the data necessary for creating a baseline an initial
meeting. The early meetings will
allow a diverse group to get to know one another and to anticipate the work for
the future. KIC’s calendar for
formative and summative reports will be aligned to WFL BOCES school year
calendar in order to ensure KIC’s timely creation of report data and
harmonization with WFL BOCES and school district reports required by
KIC will build upon these monthly meeting and communicate
with external organizations in order to convert these discussion ideas into
action items. The calendar year will
allow KIC’s early suggestions to be presented to WFL BOCES and other groups in
time for summer programs in 2009 and implementation in the 25 component school
districts for the 2009 – 2010 school year. Summer
and school year enrolment can supplement the baseline data for evidence of
initial progress in the summative reports.
Developing the Engineers of the Future
Goal 2 - KIC Curriculum & Activities: The mission of the KIC partnership of WFL BOCES, with the engineering schools and industry will be to develop the workers and leaders of tomorrow. Many of KIC’s industry participants have indicated that there is both a long term and immediate need for skilled workers, including engineers. Current positions are going unfilled; thus, the lack of qualified talent is a very real concern for the immediate and distant future. KIC participants are very interested in establishing special mentoring programs for high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, and technicians conducting research.
KIC and BOCES will work together to promote activities to the school districts through school year conferences and summer events. Activities will include field trips for job shadowing and field trips to colleges and Technical & Career Centers for school shadowing. Our technical and career center students also help communicate their enthusiasm to students at school visits and when they are at the component school districts. KIC will identify a variety of opportunities in which students will participate in engineering events. The project coordinator will arrange to fund field trip events, pre-college courses at RIT, and schedule visits by the portable renewable energy laboratory.
Goal 2,
Objective 1 Encouraging Future Engineers:
KIC will encourage K-12 students from
Diversity: WFL BOCES is well suited to encourage diversity for all of the students in our region. Our teachers, staff, students, parents, administrators, community partners and consultants in all our schools and district buildings have access to and participation in this project. Our organizations do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, national origin, color, disability or age in employment, assignment or promotion. Our buildings are designed to be barrier free and our computer systems include any needed adjustments to ensure accessibility for the handicapped. We use only handicapped accessible facilities for conferences and workshops.
WFL BOCES will comply with all applicable state and federal non-discrimination laws and regulations including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427. KIC will ensure that system, structure, and process changes and improvements ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its federally-assisted program for students, teachers, parents, and other beneficiaries with special needs.
As a service organization WFL BOCES provides specialty services to a variety of underrepresented and challenged groups. We strongly encourage underrepresented groups to participate in all educational activities. We provide service to schools districts ranging from students with all levels of challenges and gifts. We will seek to maximize research and education collaborations with faculty and students at community colleges, colleges for women, undergraduate institutions, and EPSCoR institutions.
WFL BOCES recently established a Model Transitions Program (MTP) for students and young adults so that we might better coordinate workforce resource services. The MTP program staff helps coordinate communications with principals, counselors, instructional assistants, educational specialists and teachers. We look forward to working with KIC members to find ways to seek greater participation from all students.
WFL BOCES has taken immediate action (in 2008) to encourage high school students to consider engineering programs. This is an initial effort to improve "quality and innovation and, ultimately, improved retention, graduation rates, and the successful career trajectories of engineering graduates." We believe that having qualified people working, studying and visiting in our organizations, from a variety of races, colors and national origins, people of both genders and varieties of disability and age, brings a healthy mixture of points of view to enrich the project and enables all who participate to appreciate each other’s abilities, concerns, commitments and experiences.
Students in
WFL BOCES “New Visions” programs builds upon a strong academic foundation while promoting the development of transferable skills to ensure quality life-long learning experiences. The New Visions approach features independent research, academic rigor, relevant interdisciplinary curriculum, student-mentor relationships, community outreach projects, and support of student leadership and initiative. These skills include but are not limited to: time management, application of technology, stress management, team-building, task prioritization, problem solving, effective communication skills, creative thinking and public speaking. New Visions programs also involve specific training and internships which allow a student to explore a field of study and work environments by their senior year of high school. WFL BOCES will seek to expand similar programs for younger students and to ensure that engineering schools and industry agree that the training is appropriate for our students’ future need.
KIC will develop ideas meant to spark students’ interest in engineering and improve the image of engineering as a science applied in everyday use. KIC will suggest entertaining activities in which students and their parents may participate. KIC’s advanced manufacturing and alternative energy partners can help us demonstrate to students and their families that there are exciting job opportunities available in the region. Students will be encouraged to participate at meetings and activities of professional societies. KIC will help those organizations devise content that is age appropriate for invited guests.
Goal 2,
Objective 2: KIC Student Activities:
WFL BOCES can also implement standards-based programs across four
Best Practices:
WFL BOCES also has a mechanism to share best practices with the 37 other
BOCES throughout
School Shadowing:
WFL BOCES has significant experience in incorporating engineering
technology into curriculum and into our facilities.
WTCC is one of the first “green” K-12 educational facilities in
Renewable Energy Laboratory: WFL BOCES will transport the student designed and built renewable energy laboratory (REL) to area schools. WFL BOCES initiated a comprehensive learning process, necessary to create a unique student project supported by teachers, staff and area businesses. School and community teamwork was required to design, develop and document the creation of the REL. The final schematics and documentation allows individuals, schools and communities to observe and build similar projects for less money and in a shorter time period. The REL debuted at an alternative energy convention and is scheduled to make appearances at future business and industry events.
Development, Growth and Sustainability: WFL BOCES is in the best position to work with its two technical and career centers and 25 component school districts to communicate KIC’s findings and ideas to area schools. New to NSF, WFL BOCES has raised $20 million for our schools through a variety of Federal, State and other grants. The NY Board of Regents considers WFL BOCES as an operational extension of each of our 25 school districts. We comply with complex Federal and State reporting requirements and we do not enter new projects without a plan for sustainability.
WFL BOCES actively promotes its research and educational
knowledge to schools, the public and industry.
Wayne Technical and Career Center (WTCC) and FLTCC (Finger Lakes
Technical and
Distance
Learning Network:
EduTech has redundant 50 Mbps connections to Time Warner. Each school is connected to EduTech by at least a 5 Mbps connection at the district's high school. WFL BOCES will have significant opportunities to enhance the infrastructure for research and education. Best practices materials and projects are featured on the WFL BOCES website and promoted in a variety of print and digital media. WFL BOCES is very active in stored and live content distance learning programs either directly or through EduTech. Database materials are available to the schools for research, to students and the public. Data is also published via interactive systems like the Internet or static media such as CDs, DVDs, press kits, etc.
Students will have the opportunity to explore several in school and out of school activities in formats that are understandable and useful. The benefits to society from increasing interest in engineering and technology will be the increase in the number of American citizens and permanent residents entering courses and pursuing careers in which there is a current shortage. Furthermore, the engineers income is likely to be better than average in an area in which tourism and service positions are more prevalent.
The Finger Lakes Region is an ideal area for
the development of distance learning.
Cornell is upgrading its own connections in