Great Resources - Education Programs

Are you interested in scholarships, summer workshops, schools that have other unique information about their programs? These resources point you to all types of information to "preparing" for advanced manufacturing! Find out about summer programs offered, scholarships and other information about schools.

Advanced Technological Education:

Maricopa Advanced Technology Center - MATEC is the worldwide leader in education and industry collaboration, supporting the ongoing development of a highly skilled workforce. MATEC’s materials and services are a collaborative effort between education and industry, working through a close and responsive partnership between the public and private sector. (MATEC, supported by NSF and Maricopa Community College)

National Center for Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge - The goals of NACK are to support development of two-year degree programs in micro- and nanotechnology across the country; to emphasize hands-on laboratory education and attention to the full range of micro- and nanotechnology applications; to offer professional development programs in micro- and nanotechnology for secondary and postsecondary educators;to develop and deliver incumbent worker education programs in micro- and nanotechnology for industry; to create pathways from secondary schools through associate and baccalaureate degrees and beyond; and to provide national coordination of micro- and nanofabrication workforce development programs and activities. (NACK, supported by NSF and Penn State College of Engineering)

Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing - Goals of the RCNCM are to develop new curriculum with indusstry input in new technologies such as laser manufacturing, photonics and fuel cells; to develop work-based learning curriculum projects for students, which are disseminated through workshops and on a dedicated website; to make high school students and young adults aware of opportunities that exist in the new manufacturing environment; and to increase opportunities for collaborations between manufacturers and schools which will ultimately increase the pool of qualified technicians in the workforce. (Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, supported by NSF and Connecticut Community Colleges' College of Technology)

College Planning and Programs:

Focus Your College Search - 13 Interactive Discovery Surveys - College Grazing is your first step to successful college planning. All the resources you need are gathered in one convenient, safe, and easy-to-use place. Begin your college search with College Grazing's Munchings. Thirteen interactive discovery surveys give you important feedback about what you really want and need in a college. The insights you gain from the Munchings will help you find a college that matches your dreams. (College Grazing)

My College Options: Exploring a wide range of post-secondary opportunities - Developed by professionals with almost 40 years of experience in linking high school students with colleges and universities, My College Options® connects students to 2,000 colleges and universities nationwide and has almost 5 .5 million students already enrolled. Our unique system of matching students with the colleges and universities that are right for them will play a large role in helping students reach their post-secondary goals. (My College Options, supported by National Research Center for College & University Admissions)

Prepare high school graduates to enter postsecondary engineering and engineering technology programs - The Academy of Engineering will prepare a more diverse group of students to meet national college readiness and national learning standards for engineering education at the college and university level and for engineering-related careers. The Academy of Engineering is a group of high schools that focuses students on careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They are designed to help meet the increasing demand for qualified employees in the field of engineering. (Academy of Engineering, supported by Joining forces with NAE, PLTW and NACME)

Tips for Choosing Your College Major - Terry Wilfong, College Options Foundation President, interviews leading college admissions expert on the best ways to choose your college major during the first two years of college. This video segment describes a few ways that you can explore your academic and career interests to help you decide which college major is right for you! (My College Options, supported by National Research Center for College & University Admissions)

Student Competitions:

Manufacturing Competition at Vincennes University - The inspiration for the local competition came from Mastercam's Innovator of the Future event, a national student manufacturing contest that was judged by Stewart-Haas Racing's Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Brad Harris and won by Vincennes student. The competition runs from May 19, 2010 - May 19, 2011. (Sandvik Coromant)

The InvenTeam initiative - InvenTeams are teams of high school students, teachers, and mentors that receive grants up to $10,000 each to invent technological solutions to real-world problems. Each InvenTeam chooses its own problem to solve. (Lemelson-MIT Program)

The Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) - Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) is an annual competition that provides high school students, grades 9 – 12, the opportunity to work on real world engineering challenges in a team environment. Each year, student teams will be asked to address a challenge that confronts our nation's leading industries. Students will utilize professional engineering software to develop their solutions and will also generate presentations that convincingly demonstrate the value of their solutions. The RWDC provides students with opportunities to apply the lessons of the classroom to the technical problems that are being faced in the workplace. (Public-Private Partnership, supported by aimed at sustainably increasing STEM workforce.)

Summer Programs:

Pre-Engineering Summer Camps! - This camp directory lists some of the summer camps for K-12 students in engineering throughout the United States and Canada that are and were previously offered. The camps have been hosted by Universities and research centers in the past. Please note that all camps may not be offered every year and that new camps and programs are currently being added. A substantial number of programs specifically target minorities, women, and other groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. Many of the programs offer scholarships and may have application deadlines as early as January. (Engineering Education Service Center)

sMe (summer Manufacturing experience) Institute - The sMe Institute is an upper level high school summer program that is specialized and linked directly to industry. sMe Institutes draw from Project Lead The Way high school students and utilize strong industry involvement. (Society of Manufacturing Engineers, supported by Education Foundation)