Mother Lode Region Multimedia Technician (MLMT) Project

Yosemite Community College District, Modesto CA

Investigators

Abstract

This college is developing a multimedia career pathway to prepare students with the skills and education necessary to advance in careers as multimedia technicians. The college has the long-term vision of providing a comprehensive set of multifaceted career pathways that connect students beginning at the K-12 level to higher education programs and ultimately to jobs in the Information Communications and Technologies (ICT) industry. The project consists of 3 components: (1) Collaboration with local K-12 school districts throughout the Mother Lode region (with a focus on grades 6-12), including shared training opportunities and video broadcasting laboratory space that is designed to build a pipeline of students to enroll in multimedia courses at the college and to place college students in service-learning projects at various school sites. (2) Development of a Multimedia Technician Certificate Program at the college that can be modeled by other community colleges, particularly those located in rural areas. (3) Expanded business/industry relationships to create student externships and job placements. The primary populations to be served are two-year community college students, however, training for college faculty and staff, as well as K-12 teachers and staff, is being conducted. A Multimedia Advisory Committee that includes college faculty and staff, students, K-12 teachers and counselors, and representatives from private industry/businesses that employ multimedia technicians is being formed to provide project oversight. Intellectual Merit: The project is improving student learning in the multimedia field by developing a model multimedia career pathway that incorporates K-12 and business/industry partnerships, as well as best practices and pedagogical research findings throughout the broader ICT field. Project staff are collaborating with the regional ATE-funded ICT Center (Mid Pacific ICT), and hosting trainings on campus for faculty and K-12 teachers in the Mother Lode Region, thus utilizing the resources and expertise from other NSF-funded programs. Broader Impacts: The project is impacting students, staff, and the surrounding community by raising awareness and interest in multimedia technician careers; providing multimedia services through student internships, externships, and service-learning projects; and ultimately providing a greater number of rural technicians to meet workforce demands. To disseminate the model developed to other community colleges, the college is participating in various state and national conferences and forums, developing a student-driven webpage to house resources and model materials, and participating in other NSF-funded projects and ATE Center activities.