BELLEVUE, WASH. – Two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants totaling $1 million have been awarded to Bellevue Community College for projects to enhance and recruit students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The new grants, which are in addition to a $478,000 NSF grant announced earlier this fall for student genomics research, push BCC’s total 12-year support from NSF past $10 million. Partners in the new projects include Columbia University and the University of Washington-Bothell.
The largest of the two awards, a three-year grant of $824,000, will be directed by BCC’s National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) and its Center for Career Connections, in collaboration with Columbia University’s Community College Research Center.
Funds will be used to expand workplace internships and mentorships for information technology and science students and to create new industry/college connections to keep curriculum fresh and current. Project goals include the creation of an ongoing Learning Collaborative involving Pacific Northwest business and industry representatives and regional community college faculty.
The second award, a two-year planning grant of $213,000, will be used by the NWCET to develop and test strategies to recruit more students into community college computer science programs and provide the support they need to stay in school, complete their associate degrees and continue on to earn bachelor’s degrees in computer science.
Partners in this project include computer science faculty from the University of Washington-Bothell; computer science and math instructors from Bellevue, Shoreline and Cascadia community colleges; and members of the Seattle chapter of the Society for Information Management.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL WORKFORCE CENTER FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES (NWCET)
Bellevue Community College’s National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies is a National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education Center of Excellence. Its mission is to provide state and national leadership in designing and developing innovative solutions for information technology education through research, industry partnerships, model curricula, faculty professional development, consulting and publications.
The majority of the $10 million dollars in grants that Bellevue Community College has received from NSF since 1995 has been to support the creation and activities of NWCET, including development of internationally recognized information technology skill standards to guide technical education.
Learn more about the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies at http://www.nwcet.org/
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR CAREER CONNECTIONS
The BCC Center for Career Connections provides comprehensive career resources for students, alumni, and community members at all stages of their academic and professional careers. The Center helps students explore college majors, plan career paths, and find internships, jobs and financial resources to fund their education, while also connecting Puget Sound companies and communities with BCC students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Learn more about the Center for Career Connections at http://bellevuecollege.edu/careers/employers_learn.html
Visit Bellevue Community College on the web at www.bellevuecollege.edu.
