Science & Technology Careers
Indeed, science and technology careers, ranging from cyber-security to nano-technology, can all start from community college training. Get your feet wet with waterbotics, crack into cyber-security or dive into marine biology at your local community college.
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As careers in science, technology, engineering, and math become more prevalent, community colleges are shifting their focus to meet demand and secure their place in a rapidly changing educational landscape.
In 2012, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology issued a dire warning that if the United States did not boost programming to produce one million more graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the nation would lose it’s status as the leader in those fields. Since then, several national science organizations, including the National Research Council, the National Academies of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering have called on community colleges to lead the charge in STEM education in order to keep up with demand.
High on the list of priorities is preparing students early for STEM studies. Experts agree that children should be exposed to STEM career pathways in elementary school, and should have continued exposure through their middle school and high school years. Classroom experiences are important, but George Boggs, the CEO Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges, posits that visits to college campuses, involvement in research opportunities, advanced STEM studies in high school, science fairs, and summer camps are also necessary in order to get schoolchildren excited about careers in STEM.
According to Boggs, another critical component in devising successful STEM programs is developing curriculum articulation between high schools and community colleges to reduce the number of students who have to take remedial courses once they get to college. In math especially, community college students demonstrate a lack of preparedness that serve as a barrier to many of them pursuing careers in a STEM-related field. Additionally, Boggs points out that
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We highlight some of the best degrees offered by community colleges in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
With so much talk about the value of a STEM education today, many students have the misconception that a four-year degree is necessary to gain good employment in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. However, community colleges are also answering the call for STEM training, through associate degree and certificate programs that prepare students for in-demand jobs in these industries. Check out these 10 exciting STEM degrees you can earn right at your local community college.
A.S. Natural Science – Kapi’olani Community College
The ASNS degree program offered through Kapi’olani Community College in Hawaii is specifically designed to deepen STEM learning at the community college level. This program provides a basic overview of natural science, with a two-year degree that can be transferred to a four-year school after graduation. The program offers students the option of specialization in either Life or Physical Science, with a broad curriculum that spans the science field no matter which specialty path is chosen.
A.S. General Physics – Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College in Illinois offers an Associate of Science with a specialization in a variety of fields of study, including physics. Students that choose this academic path will complete coursework in general physics and mathematics, as well as classes in chemistry, life sciences and physical sciences. The school also provides a list of STEM classes that have been approved by the National Science Foundation, which can be taken towards completion of this degree program.
Associate of Technical Arts – Edmonds Community College
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Some community college scholars have been selected by NASA to design robotic rovers. Learn about the program and some of the students selected.
A number of community college students from around the country are headed to NASA to help design robotic rovers for Mars exploration. The 92 students chosen for the project were carefully selected after participating in interactive online assignments throughout the school year and will be headed to a NASA center this spring to complete their tasks. The National Community College Aerospace Scholar program designed the project, with sponsorship from NASA, and will include students from 24 different states across the country.
The Purpose of the Program
According to a press release at the NASA website, the program is based on the Texas Aerospace Scholars program, which was originally created as a partnership between the state’s education community and NASA. The purpose was to get more students excited about STEM areas of study, particularly science and engineering. This particular project, through the National Community College Aerospace Scholar program and NASA, is designed to offer hands-on opportunities in STEM fields that will inspire more students to enter those fields after they finish college.
“I am so proud of the Community College Aerospace Scholars program,” Leland Melvin, NASA’s associate administrator for education, stated in the press release. “Community colleges offer NASA a great pool of STEM talent critical to our scientific and exploration initiatives. They also serve a large portion of our nation’s minority students. Engaging these underserved and underrepresented learners in STEM initiatives helps NASA build a more inclusive and diverse workforce for the future.”
The Selection Process
Community colleges across
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Learn about a Governor’s Investment in Aerospace grant that will help 13 Washington community colleges develop training programs for the aerospace industry.
Aerospace is big business in the state of Washington, with more than 600 aerospace-related businesses currently residing there. To ensure a sufficient influx of quality, trained workers, new grants are coming to community and technical colleges in order to provide necessary training as quickly as possible. Funding will come from both state and federal sources, with millions of dollars coming to colleges across the state. The additional money will be a boon to the aerospace industry in Washington, as well as institutes of higher education supplying the training.
Federal Funding Distributed to Washington Technical College
The Obama Administration offers the first grant for aerospace training to Renton Technical College in Renton, Washington. According to a report in the Renton Reporter, the $2.1 million grant was a portion of the funds awarded to the Spokane Community College system through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grants program, or TAACCCT grants. These grants are part of the workforce development plan created by the White House to help displaced workers get the training they need to find new lines of work. Community Colleges of Spokane was given $20 million for this purpose, according to the U.S. Department of Education website.
The Air Washington Consortium
The portion of the Spokane funds were given to Renton as a part of the Air Washington consortium that includes 12 community and technical colleges and focuses on training for aerospace jobs in the state based on current and verified local industry needs.
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This summer, community colleges across the country have been participating in an innovative program known as “Waterbotics,” developed at the Stevens Institute of Technology by the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education.
In an effort to turn more kids onto STEM learning, the Stevens Institute of Technology has brought a new summer program to community colleges across the country. WaterBotics allows middle and high school students to get their feet wet in the area of underwater technology, while attracting demographics that might not otherwise consider an engineering career after graduation. This program has been gaining steam over the past few years, and this summer, a number of community colleges have hosted WaterBotics programs for students in their areas.
What is STEM?
What is STEM?
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics – the key components some believe that hold the key to this country’s future in the global marketplace. The Obama Administration has put out the challenge for schools across the country to bring more students into STEM studies in order to better prepare the future workforce for the challenges that lie ahead.
Dr. George Korfiatis, Stevens Provost and University Vice President, said in a press release on PR.com, “We are living in an age when knowing how to create new knowledge and what to do with it can create a healthier, safer and more prosperous planet. Scientists, engineers and technologists are providing the fuel to power the enterprises of this and future generations.”
What is WaterBotics?
According to information on the Sinclair Community College website, WaterBotics is a program designed to educate students in science concepts and programming, while broadening their interest in a variety of engineering and technology careers. The
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