SpaceTEC National Center of Excellence

Eastern Florida State College, Cocoa FL

Investigators

Abstract

A nation's success in any economic sector is directly related to the strength of its educational system, and the aerospace industry is no exception. To address the need for skilled technicians and to spur student interest and motivation to study, Community Colleges for Innovative Technology Transfer (CCITT) is establishing SpaceTEC, a national Aerospace Science Technical Education Center of Excellence under the NSF's ATE Program. The vision of SpaceTEC is to be the focal point for technical education resources featuring aerospace, providing motivation for academic studies and professional development services for faculty, students, and aerospace employees. The mission of SpaceTEC is to create and implement an industry-driven, government-endorsed, technical education process for aerospace technicians that can be shared with other educational venues. The goals of SpaceTEC are to foster interest in science, mathematics, and technology education in the U.S., and to provide education for the technical workforce using a national alliance of representatives from business and industry, government, and academic institutions. The strategy is to formalize aerospace technician education nationally, establish a skills-based standards program that has industry-wide support, and infuse aerospace themes into other areas of study. Methods include regional and national advisory committees, national articulation among K-12 and post-secondary institutions, a national professional development organization, a formal certification process, innovative faculty development, resources for national dissemination, and coordinated curriculum development. Instructional materials with aerospace themes are being shared with non-aerospace disciplines. The nine CCITT member colleges participating in this initiative are affiliated with a NASA center or Department of Defense location. Together they enroll over 400,000 students annually. United Space Alliance is an industry partner providing a co-principal investigator. CCITT colleges are each leading one or more of the elements of the national program, and Brevard Community College is serving serve as the fiscal agent and Center manager. Internal reviews are being provided by a National Aerospace Technology Advisory Committee, with representatives from advisory committees affiliated with CCITT colleges. External review is by representatives from the Air Force Academy, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a National Visiting Committee (NVC). The NVC includes members of industry, academia, and government groups. There are several major benefits from a national Center. Program graduates receive nationally recognized competencies for employability. Participating academic institutions receive funding for their roles, access to relevant curriculum, program articulation, faculty development, and recognition for industry-endorsed programs for critical workforce needs. Business and industry are provided with a dependable source of well-educated entry-level technicians and a means of sustaining workforce development. Government is provided an improved educational capability and qualified technicians for a key economic sector. Educators have new space-related curricular themes to enrich their courses in many disciplines. SpaceTEC is serving as a national resource to strengthen our country's technical education base and motivate interest in academics.