October conference preview

By the end of 2013, National Convergence Technology Center (CTC) staff will have directly attended twelve conferences around the country (including eight which we have hosted or co-hosted). Three of those twelve are scheduled for late October. Below is our busy itinerary for the month. If you’ll be attending any of these events, we hope to see you there. In addition to making presentations, attending sessions, and mingling at receptions, we’ll have a booth presence at all three. Come say hello!

National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) conference

San Antonio, October 13-15 

In addition to sharing a booth with other ATE centers, the National CTC will be handling one of the breakout sessions. On Tuesday morning, October 15 (9:30am-10:30am), Ann Beheler and Helen Sullivan will present “Business Engagement: Key Component in Launching New Programs” which looks at the value of involving business leaders to develop a program and help steer curriculum.

The NCPN, formed in 1991, is an organization for educators focused on the advancement of Career Pathways, Career and Technical Education, and related reform initiatives. More specifically, the NCPN assists its members in planning, implementing, evaluating, and improving secondary and post-secondary transition programs by facilitating the exchange of best practices among the country’s leading practitioners.

Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Principal Investigators’ conference

Washington DC, October 23-25

Ann Beheler will be a part of two ATE P.I. conference sessions. On Wednesday afternoon, October 23, Ann will help lead a pre-conference workshop entitled “Follow the Money: Strategies for Leveraging ATE Grant Funding” that looks at opportunities and case studies for building on existing NSF support. Ann will also help moderate a breakout session panel on Thursday morning, October 24 (10:30am-11:45am) on “What Industry Wants from Graduates to Hire Them and Keep Them.” This session will ask industry leaders about challenges new graduates face in the job market.

The National CTC will also have a big presence in the conference exhibit hall. On Wednesday evening, October 23, we’ll have a booth as part of “Showcase I” reception that spotlights ATE centers around the country. And on Thursday, October 24 (12:00pm-2:15pm), we’ll have a couple of our students featured in “Showcase II” – University of North Texas student James Glenn and Collin College student Steadman Smith.

Not only will Ann and National CTC staff members Helen Sullivan, Mark Dempsey, and Jen McGarvey be going, but we’ll also welcome to the ATE P.I. Conference several of our key program partners: Ernie Friend (Florida State College at Jacksonville), Elizabeth Halweg (Fox Valley Technical College), Jon Hardesty (Collin College), David Keathly (University of North Texas), Eliazar Martinez (El Centro College), and Bill Saichek (Orange Coast College).

The ATE is the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) premier community college program that educates technicians for America’s cutting-edge industries. The ATE P.I. conference is a “closed” conference, open solely to key educators and staff involved in NSF-funded ATE centers and projects around the country.

STEMtech Conference

Atlanta, October 27-30

Here again, the National CTC will be sharing a booth with other ATE centers. But we’ll also provide two breakout sessions back-to-back on Monday morning, October 28. First at 9:15am, Ann Beheler and Comerica Bank VP Tu Huynh will talk about “Soup to Nuts: Business Engagement to Benefit Students.” Like the October 15 NCPN session, this talk will explore the value of involving business leaders like Tu to develop a successful program. Then at 10:30am, Ann Beheler, BATEC’s Executive Director Deb Boisvert, and Orange Coast College instructor Bill Saichek will talk about how to “Increase Your Completion Rates Using Stackable Certificates.” If you haven’t heard of stackable certificates yet, they’re changing the way community colleges organize courses and facilitate credentialed completers.

The STEMtech conference focuses on increasing student access, success, and completion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Over 400 conference sessions emphasize improving STEM education, better aligning educational systems, addressing local workforce needs, and exploring technology’s role in teaching and learning processes. Conference attendees come from a wide background and include college and university faculty members, K-12 teachers, administrators, government officials, and community and business representatives. The conference is presented by the League for Innovation in the Community College, the only major international organization specifically committed to improving community colleges through innovation, experimentation, and institutional transformation.

Are you planning to attend any of these fall conferences? How many conferences a year do you attend? What’s your busiest month?