CT-EnTICE: Chemical Technology - Enrolling Technicians and Improving Community Engagement

Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) will develop the "Chemical Technology-Enrolling Technicians and Improving Community Engagement" program (CT-EnTICE). Project activities will build a pathway from regional high schools to the CFCC chemical technology program, and will improve technician education at CFCC. Project activities include a high school science project competition supported by an instrumentation loan program. This activity builds on past NSF ATE-funded work at CFCC (Project W.A.T.E.R.S., Award# 1003564), and will be coordinated with local industrial partners. It will bring a technology and research-rich educational experience in the context of industry needs to high school students in their classrooms. CT-EnTICE will support a part-time chemical technology liaison to reach out to local business and industry to build new partnerships with industry in CFCC's service area.

CT-EnTICE will leverage what was learned during Project W.A.T.E.R.S. regarding positive community engagement and will incorporate industrial partners as active participants in its outreach activities. There is enthusiastic industry support for CT-EnTICE and the community science projects, and what is learned will improve technician education at CFCC. Anticipated outcomes of this project are stronger partnerships between the CFCC chemical technology program (which results in an Associates of Applied Science) and the community at multiple levels: students from high school, citizens from the community, and representatives from local industry. Ultimately, this project will increase the enrollment of the CFCC chemical technology program, expand the number of its community partners, and strengthen its relationships with industry. Many of the high schools targeted have a significant number of economically disadvantaged students, so heightened awareness of the CFCC chemical technology program through CT-EnTICE could lead these students to a pathway to economic prosperity. Project evaluation will measure participants' changes in opinions and perceptions of careers in chemical technology and their awareness of the program. The results will be disseminated through the ATE community.