Seattle’s Hub for Industry-driven Nanotechnology Education (SHINE)

http://www.seattlenano.org/

SHINE: Seattle’s Hub for Industry-driven Nanotechnology Education is the regional center for nanotechnology in the Pacific Northwest, serving students, educators, industry, and communities. It builds on an ATE project that, since 2009, has developed extensive connections with academia, national labs, and industry in the Pacific Northwest. The field of nanotechnology is growing rapidly, becoming incorporated into virtually all science and engineering fields. Despite current growth trends, exposure to nanotechnology principles and concepts has remained largely absent across the K-12 and undergraduate formal education system. It is critical that middle and high schools, as well as far more undergraduate serving institutions, become involved with instructing tomorrow's workforce about this growing scientific field. As a Regional Center, SHINE addresses this need by: 1) engaging the public through hands-on, informal Nanotechnology learning events; 2) expanding access to nanotechnology within the formal educational system, through both professional development for educators and direct work with students; 3) increasing the effectiveness of North Seattle Community College's two-year nanotechnology program to ensure a highly qualified and diverse Nanotech workforce; and 4) coordinating closely with industry and education stakeholders to establish a coherent nanotechnology career and education pathway throughout the Pacific Northwest. SHINE's two-year college program at North Seattle Community College continues to expand, preparing graduates for immediate technician-level employment or for transfer to a 4-year institution, and serves as a model and resource for other programs in the field. SHINE's extensive outreach programs, particularly marketing to groups underrepresented in STEM, and the ambitious impact targets that have been set, demonstrate a commitment to serving the entire Northwest region. Additionally, as a Regional Center, SHINE further enhances the national infrastructure for nanotechnology education by actively partnering with the National ATE Nanotechnology Center and several other Regional Centers in other parts of the US. These collaborations support the expansion of innovative educational strategies, such as providing remote access to instrumentation and developing new instructional labs that integrate research into training and learning.