HI-TEC Experience from a "Newbie" Perspective

     As a “newbie” to the ATE Program, the first High Impact Technology Exchange Conference (HI-TEC) conference for me was informative and enlightening. The HI-TEC conference is a national conference on advanced technological education highlighting innovation throughout the country. The conference sessions were plentiful, offering up information about new innovations and strategies for those working in technician education. The SC ATE Center and its project Mentor-Connect had the opportunity to present and exhibit at the HI-TEC 2013 Conference, opening the door for newcomers. We were able to provide tools and information for those interested in new opportunities.



Tressa Gardner and Charlotte Forrest at HI-TEC 2013

    
     Meeting creative minds and new colleagues was invaluable for my work in Advanced Technological Education. The Mentor-Connect project is embarking on accepting twenty new community colleges into our one-on-one mentoring program, paired with ten seasoned ATE Principal Investigators and former Principal Investigators. For nine months our cohort will work as a team to build a solid grant proposal, submitting for small grant funding in October of 2014. Our project will be hosting an orientation webinar to initiate the application process for those interested in this unique mentoring opportunity.
     We invite any community college, who has not obtained National Science Foundation ATE grant funding within the last ten years or not at all to apply immediately following attendance at the orientation webinar on September 12, 2013. Applicants who are selected will be notified on November 8 and will be required to attend our grant writing workshop January 22-24 (with financial support).

For more information, please contact me!
 

Charlotte Forrest, Project Manager

Mentor-Connect: Leadership Development and

Outreach Initiative for ATE (DUE #1204463)

mentor-connect@fdtc.edu

843.676.8540