List
ATE is Advanced Technological Education. With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the National Science Foundation's ATE program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy.
TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo 2026
Conference
March 10 Raleigh, NC
TechConnect World is a global innovation conference connecting emerging technologies, commercialization, and applied workforce development. Hosted by Tech Connect World, the event brings together students, educators, researchers, and industry leaders to explore cutting-edge technologies and career pathways in high-impact fields.
The 2026 program features keynote and technical sessions focused on photonics, semiconductors, power electronics, and the bioeconomy, along with speed networking and career-focused programming. Highlights include a keynote address by Daniel Lopez, student entrepreneurship sessions, and a Career Awareness Fair with industry representatives from leading technology organizations.
Additional programming includes industry-led recruiting insights, a dedicated symposium on wide bandgap and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors, hands-on workshops exploring digital twin and AI-enabled training tools, and virtual reality demonstrations supporting advanced manufacturing education.
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DYI Smart Machine Vision System
Webinar
March 10
In this free virtual workshop, you will build an end-to-end smart inspection pipeline that integrates machine vision, AI-based detection, and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-driven automation. Machine vision will be used to detect and categorize objects. A monitor will display real-time inspection results. Results will be overlaid on an augmented reality (AR) camera view.
What you will learn:
- How to build a full inspection pipeline that connects camera → vision/AI model → PLC logic → actuator/stack light
- Real-time detection and categorization of various objects
- How to set up a closed-loop system in which AI results trigger PLC decisions and automation responses
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DIY Remote Robotic Control
Webinar
March 10
In this free virtual workshop, you will learn to manage real-time data streaming between industrial hardware and networked devices. You will build a modular remote robotic control system integrating ROS2, FastAPI, and HTML5/JavaScript. This system will replace a traditional teaching pendant with a responsive web interface.
What you will learn:
- A dual-server control architecture that connects web browser → FastAPI/WSL → ROS2 Node → FANUC LR Mate 200iD Robot.
- A "Virtual Teach Pendant" interface featuring real-time joint state visualization, sequence execution, and D-pad jogging.
- A low-latency visual feedback system where synchronized MJPEG streams from multiple USB cameras are integrated into the control dashboard.
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DIY Augmented Reality Troubleshooting
Webinar
March 10
Object detection and augmented reality (AR) can be used to overlay troubleshooting and maintenance info onto physical components using a live camera feed. In this free virtual workshop, you will learn how to train a YOLO detection model and deploy it in a Python-based AR application. The system can recognize components in real time and dynamically display instructions and schematics.
What you will learn:
- How to set up a Python-based machine learning (ML) development environment
- How to train a state-of-the-art YOLO V11 model for high-speed object detection
- Key ML evaluation metrics
- How to develop a real-time AR interface using OpenCV and Tkinter
- How to combine your trained model with an application to dynamically overlay component data and schematics
- How to deploy and test your intelligent detection system using a webcam
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Women in Cybersecurity Conference
Conference
March 11 Oxen Hill, MD
The WiCyS conference is the premier event to recruit, retain and advance women in cybersecurity— all while creating a community of engagement, encouragement and support at a technical conference for women and allies. WiCyS brings together women and allies in cybersecurity from academia, research, government, and industry.
Conference components include keynote speakers, technical presentations, workshops, panel discussions, lightning talks, networking socials, résumé reviews, mock interviews, professional headshots, a career fair for hiring professionals and students, a capture-the-flag competition, an escape room, a breakfast honoring military personnel, and more.
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EARTh Center Institute at St. Petersburg
Meeting
March 12 St. Petersburg, FL
Join the EARTh Center for a hands-on professional development institute designed for community college environmental technology and STEM educators. Over three days in scenic St. Petersburg, Florida, participants will explore how technology, innovation, and conservation intersect to create exciting opportunities for the future workforce in several environmental-centered industries.
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2026 California AI-Cybersecurity Workforce Development and Education Summit
Summit
March 12 Valley Glen, CA
The California Cybersecurity Task Force, Workforce Development and Education Subcommittee and Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) would like to cordially invite you to attend the 2026 3rd Annual AI-California Cybersecurity Workforce Development and Education Summit in person event on Thursday & Friday March 12-13. The Summit is designed to bring together students, educators, staff (K–12 and higher education), workforce partners, and industry professionals to explore innovative solutions, career pathways, and workforce-ready skills in AI and cybersecurity.
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University of Illinois: A Growing National Hub for the Bioeconomy
Webinar
March 12
The U.S. bioeconomy is rapidly growing with a projected market size of $400 billion in 2030 according to a recent Biotechnology Innovation Organization report. Thanks to decades of excellence in biotechnology, agriculture, and information technology, the University of Illinois has established a national leadership role in developing this bioeconomy with our academic and private collaborators. Illinois has developed an end-to-end biomanufacturing pipeline beginning with microorganism development, scaling to pilot plant process and sample production, and offers opportunities to build or partner for manufacturing scale.
In this talk, presenters will introduce the various capabilities and resources in this pipeline, including the NSF Molecule Maker Lab Institute, NSF iBioFoundry, NSF Global Centers, DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab, Department of Commerce’s iFAB Tech Hub, and National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Presenters will highlight a few technical breakthroughs and case studies related to artificial intelligence and automation for biosystem design and bioprocess development. Along with the growing manufacturing capacity being deployed in the region through the Tech Hub, the University of Illinois has demonstrated unparalleled capabilities to take a concept in the lab to commercial success for industrial biomanufacturing.
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AMTEC Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation: Manufacturing Education: Ideas, Tools, and Pathways
Webinar
March 12
Ready to explore innovative ideas, practical tools, and emerging pathways shaping today’s manufacturing classrooms? Join for an engaging Community of Practice session featuring Brandon Hudson, Workforce Director at SkillsUSA, who will share updates on programs that connect classroom learning to competition and career readiness. You’ll also hear from Bryan Sellers, Representative from SICK Sensors, who will highlight industry equipment and donation opportunities that bring real-world manufacturing experiences directly into the lab. Walk away with new ideas, resources, and connections to strengthen manufacturing education across secondary and postsecondary programs.
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ATE Project Talks: Pathways from High School to College and Building Pathways
Webinar
March 13
Talk 1: Pathways from High School to College
Speaker: Rebecca Bowers-Gentry, PhD, Miramar College, CA
ATE project: Building Pathways from High School to College for Increased Biotechnology Career Readiness
Talk 2: Building Pathways
Speaker: Jacqueline Clifford, PhD, Metropolitan Community College, NE
ATE project: Building Pathways to Biotechnology Technician Careers
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Innovations Conference
Conference
March 15 Indianapolis, IN
The League for Innovation in the Community College is pleased to announce that the 2026 Innovations Conference will be held March 15-18 in Indianapolis, Indiana. All conference events will take place at JW Marriott Indianapolis.
The Innovations Conference, now in its 29th year, is the foremost convening for professionals dedicated to improving and enhancing teaching and learning, leadership and management, and the community college experience. This international event provides a forum for collaboration among academic experts and thought leaders, while granting participants exclusive access to the most inventive and inspirational community college programs from around the world.
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CyberED 2026
Workshop
March 16 New Orleans,, LA
Building a cyber-ready workforce is critical to help solve the worsening global cybersecurity crisis. The goal of the Cybersecurity Education Workshop is to bring together experts to focus on improving and sustaining cybersecurity education. CyberEd 2026 will be held March 16-17 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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AMTEC Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation
Workshop
March 17 Owensboro, KY
Empower Your Teaching. Elevate Industry 4.0 Skills. Join this immersive two-day experience designed specifically for manufacturing instructors and faculty at high schools, community and technical colleges, and universities. Gain practical, hands-on expertise with cutting-edge Industry 4.0 technologies and proven strategies you can immediately apply in your classroom.
Sessions Include:
- Industry 4.0 Concepts and Training
- Artificial Intelligence and Augmented/Virtual Reality
- Competency-Based Education and Funding Resources
View Training Agenda: https://amtecworkforce.org/amtec-institute-for-industry-4-0-innovation-ai3/training-agenda/
Reception evening before on March 16, 2026 from 5pm to 7pm (CT) to network with fellow instructors and trainers.
Bonus: Travel assistance and stipends are available to instructors who complete the program. Virtual Community-of-Practice sessions will provide continued guidance and share best practices from industry experts and educational peers.
Learn more by visiting our website: https://amtecworkforce.org/amtec-institute-for-industry-4-0-innovation-ai3/
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ATE Projects and Centers
Mfg
Advanced Manufacturing Technologies topics include:
- Additive manufacturing
- Automotive manufacturing
- General manufacturing
Ag/Env
Agricultural and Environmental Technologies topics include:
- Agriculture and aquaculture
- Environmental technologies
- Natural resources
- Nuclear power
- Solar energy
- Wind power
Bio/Chem
Bio and Chemical Technologies topics include:
- Biotechnology
- Chemical and process technologies
Eng
Engineering Technologies topics include:
- Electronics and controls
- General engineering
- Marine technologies
- Materials technologies
- Optics
- Space technologies
Gen
General Advanced Technological Education topics include:
- Evaluation
- Learning research
- Recruitment
- Teacher preparation
Info
Information and Security Technologies topics include:
- Geospatial technologies
- Information and communications technologies
- Logistics
- Security, information assurance, and forensics
Nano
Micro and Nanotechnologies topics include:
- MEMS
- Microsystems
- Semiconductors
This video from the Internet Scout Research Group is part of a series that highlights student success stories related to advanced technological education (ATE) programs. In this video, Zachary Gorman discusses his experiences with the LASER-TEC program at Indian River State College. Throught the video, Zachary narrates his career path from being in the military to deciding to back to school and discusses how the LASER-TEC program prepared him for his job in photonics. Funding for the program from the National Science Foundation (NSF) is also explored.
The video runs 5:28 minutes in length.
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This lab, presented by the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, covers the concept of wave properties. During this lab, students will learn how light waves interact with matter. The activity is "analogous to light traveling through optical media having different indices of refraction (densities)." Teacher Preparation Guides, Student Guides, and Next Generation Science Standards applicable to the lesson are included.
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The ATE Impacts book, published every two years by Internet Scout Research Group, showcases all of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) centers and selected nominated projects. The NSF ATE program focuses on the education of highly-qualified science and engineering technicians for advanced technology fields. Through the program's grant process, the NSF promotes the improvement of STEM education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels, and in the workforce.
This 2024-2025 Impacts book provides data on the NSF ATE program, a foreword by NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, an introduction, and summaries of the activities and accomplishments of 24 ATE centers and 36 projects. Website addresses are included for all of the centers and projects. A map is also included that provides geographic location information that is intended to help connect educators, employers, and students with the ATE...
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This course, published by InnovATEBIO, provides "an introduction to the field of biotechnology, including applications of biotechnology in molecular biology, biochemistry, research, bioethics, and laboratory safe practices in a regulated environment." The course features four units with various sub-modules, covering basic biotechnology lab skills such as "solution preparation, safe handling of hazardous material, nucleic acid isolation, recombinant DNA cloning, PCR [polymerase chain reaction], and ELISA [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay]." Included are exams, self-study quizzes, a course syllabus, lecture slides, lab manuals, student worksheets, instructional videos, and more.
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This video from the Internet Scout Research Group is part of a series that highlights student success stories related to advanced technological education (ATE) programs. In this video, Elias Marcet discusses his experiences with the Bachelor's program in cybersecurity at Miami Dade College. Elias describes his journey to fully enrolling in Miami Dade, joining the cybersecurity programming, and eventually being employed by Amazon. Funding for the program from the National Science Foundation (NSF) is also explored.
The video runs 5:44 minutes in length.
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| Active ATE Centers | 15 |
| Active ATE Projects | 282 |
| ATE Resources | 7,030 |
| New Projects/Centers | 62 |
| New Resources | 92 |
ATE Resources by Subject Area
ATE Events by Subject Area
Upcoming Event Series: Mentor-Connect Webinars
Mentor-Connect supports the ATE community by offering leadership development, outreach strategies, and mentorship programming for STEM faculty at two-year colleges. Additionally, Mentor-Connect assists potential grantees looking for ATE funding by providing guidance on how to apply for an NSF ATE grant.
The upcoming webinars feature important information regarding project evaluation, necessary components for ATE proposals, budget preparation, and aligning budgets with project descriptions. More information on each webinar can be found on each event’s registration page.
- NSF Annual and Project Outcomes Report: April 1, 3:00-4:00 PM ET
- Preparing Forms for your NSF ATE Proposal: April 8, 3:00-4:00 PM ET
- ATE Budgets and Forms: Personnel Documents: April 29, 3:00-4:00 PM ET
- NSF ATE Proposal Budget and Budget Justification: May 13, 3:00-4:00 PM ET
To learn more about these webinars and additional resources offered by Mentor-Connect, visit their website.
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Upcoming Event: Workforce Pell Implementation Webinar
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is hosting a webinar on February 26, 2026, to discuss the upcoming implementation of Workforce Pell Grants in community colleges. Workforce Pell Grants are a new type of financial aid, granted to students enrolled in career and technical training programs and short-term education programs. The Workforce Pell Grant is scheduled to go into effect by July 1, 2026.
In this webinar, community college officials and state leaders will be sharing lessons learned during their preparation and navigation of this transition, as well as the work they are doing as stakeholders throughout this process. There will also be a Q&A during the session.
The webinar will begin at 1:00 PM CST on Thursday, February 26, 2026. For more information or to register, visit the event details page on AACC’s website.
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New Research: AI Engines and Community Colleges
Artificial intelligence has given us the ability to complete tasks such as problem-solving, decision-making, analysis, and other types of learning through computer systems and software. The National Applied AI Consortium (NAAIC) was established through a National Science Foundation grant in 2024, placing community colleges at the core of the nation’s strategy for developing an AI workforce. A recent article published by Forbes examines the role of community colleges in the adoption and application of artificial intelligence, emphasizing their role in preparing technicians for an AI-enabled workforce.
The Consortium was formed as a partnership among three powerful community colleges, serving students in Houston, Miami, and Tempe, with Miami Dade College beginning the process of creating an applied AI degree in 2020. Additionally, the Consortium is committed to establishing partnerships with technology companies and identifying the skills needed to ensure students are equipped to enter the workforce with AI.
NAAIC works to address workforce requests and adapt to the changing needs of the nation, continuing to bridge the gap between industry and education by supporting educators...
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