21st Century Learning: A Connecticut Higher Education, Industry and Government Collaboration

Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program, Inc., Middletown CT

Investigators

Abstract

The Connecticut Community Colleges and their College of Technology (COT) in partnership with the Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program (CPEP) is expanding and enhancing their Life Support and Sustainable Living (LSSL) Program. The LSSL Program is focusing on Mechanical Engineering Technology and is: (1) providing additional community college, university students, and faculty with unstructured, case-based learning experiences; (2) preparing participants for the workplace through professional skills education, including leadership, team building, project planning and management, behavioral diversity, and critical thinking; and (3) developing case-based learning curricula for dissemination to high schools and community colleges. Past LSSL case-based student projects include the development of a sleep apnea monitor for premature infants, space suit design modifications, and helicopter-delivered pods for natural disaster mitigation. The current project is expanding the LSSL Program to all twelve Connecticut Community Colleges, additional universities, and industry partners. In addition, the LSSL Program is strengthening the pipeline from high schools to community colleges, preparing graduates for the workforce or continuing their education. Summer workshops are being used to disseminate grade-level appropriate scenarios to high school teachers and CPEP is disseminating the best practices of the LSSL Program through the Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century Program, a four-week program for urban youth.