Goals of the Grant

The primary goal of the grant initiatives is to revise the curricula to improve the preparation of technical students for the world of work.

Accomplishing that goal will require:

1. Rewriting the two-year programs in engineering design and electronics to create project based programs that culminate in a capstone project.

2. Revising the existing entrepreneurial project:
   a.  To include the addition of manufacturing students to the entrepreneurial teams and recruiting a manufacturing instructor to participate.
   b.  To provide training for the entrepreneurial component of the program in the semesters before project teams form.

The specific objectives of the grant program are:

1. To increase technical students’ knowledge of and experience with continuous quality improvement methodology including the role of redesigning.

2. To recruit more students into engineering design, electronics and manufacturing courses and programs. This objective will be implemented primarily by involving high school technical instructors and their students through on campus visits and field trips.

3. To improve student performance in engineering, electronics and manufacturing courses by providing support for those students. This objective will be implemented through three initiatives:
   a.  Addressing the language needs of students who speak English as a second language.
   b.  Creating a Leadership Track for promising high school students, to provide them with additional assistance and to utilize their abilities to assist others.
   c.  Involving representatives from engineering, manufacturing and electronics firms:
          -  As members of an advisory committee to be formed for the project,
          -  As mentors for the technical students,
          -  As recruiters to encourage participation by other industry representatives,
          -  As evaluators of the preparation of the students they hire.