Exploring Common Ground: Convening NSF-ATE and Philanthropic Organizations

While the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program shares common concerns and goals for technician education with several private and corporate foundations, these organizations are rarely connected in any meaningful way. There is broad agreement among all groups that education in secondary schools and two-year colleges, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, must be strengthened to meet the demands of the high performance workplace. In order to establish communication and identify opportunities for further collaboration, the Council for Adult and Experiential Education is convening and facilitating an invitational one-day forum to bring together representatives from ATE and philanthropic organizations that award grants for workforce development initiatives. Pre-forum surveys and papers are used to set an agenda around common themes and interests. A report to be written one year after the conference describes the outcomes of the forum.