Newest Advanced Technology Education Center Opens

The grand opening on April 9 of a new technology education center in the Seattle area marked a milestone for the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program. The new Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) is the second major ATE center NSF has supported in the fields of information technology and telecommunications.

NSF has funded 10 other such ATE programs on a smaller scale around the United States. NSF initiated the ATE Program in 1994 in an effort to meet the education needs of the high- performance workplace through education programs at two-year and community colleges. The ATE program supports projects in instructional materials and curriculum development; laboratory development and enhancement; faculty and teacher enhancement and preparation; and technical experiences for students.

The awards cover a wide range of advanced technological education fields including biotechnology, environmental technology, computer and information systems technology, chemical technology, manufacturing technology, electronics, geographic information systems technology, telecommunications, instrumentation and calibration technologies, and laser technology as well as mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, and other core courses.

More information on the ATE program can be found at: www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/DUE/awards/ate/atemain.htm