Connecting STEP Grants with Workforce Development Boards for Sustainable STEM Programs

STEPWork Webinar PresentationOpportunity to Connect STEP Grants with Workforce Development Boards May 16, 2013 Michael Georgiopoulos, Interim Dean, CECS, UCF NirmalaRamlakhan, Founder, Nee-Moh Inc.

Poll Questions • What year are you in your STEP grant effort: • Answer 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5+ • Have you secured sustainability dollars for your STEP effort? • Answer: YES, NO • I feel confident in my ability to secure avenues for sustainability for my project • (Strongly Agree-Strongly Disagree)

STEP Program Components • Mentoring programs that involve faculty or peer student mentoring; • Programs that focus on increasing enrollments in STEM undergraduate majors through the incorporation of strategies targeted at traditionally underrepresented students (low-income, ethnic and racial minority students, first-generation college students, women, and persons with disabilities) • Programs that (a) facilitate student exposure to potential careers, including cooperative programs with industry or government that place students in internships as early as the summer following their first year of study; (b) provide part-time employment in industry during the school year; or (c) provide opportunities for undergraduates to participate in industry- or government-sponsored research; • Programs to encourage undergraduate research, particularly in the early undergraduate years, on- or off-campus; • Programs that provide financial incentives to students entering and persisting in the study of STEM;

EXCEL-WDB Partnership • The EXCEL-WDB partnership supported • The GEMS program, a peer mentorship program for EXCEL female freshman students • The WDB-STEM program, which supported research experiences for sophomore EXCEL students and other UCF junior and senior STEM students • The WDB-NEI program, which supported internship experiences of UCF junior and senior students with local companies

EXCEL-WDB Partnership • The EXCEL-WDB partnership supported • A funded NSF effort, called UCF ICubed (supports interdisciplinary collaborations of STEM students and Visual Arts and Design students) • A funded NSF effort, called YES (an NSF S-STEM program that supports internship and entrepreneurship experiences for juniors and seniors at UCF) • A funded NSF effort, called LEARN (a NSF CCLI, Type 1 program that supports early mentorship experiences for STEM students at UCF) • A funded DOE McNair program for UCF that helps primarily underrepresented students succeed in their graduate studies pursuit

EXCEL-WDB Partnership • The EXCEL-WDB partnership supported • A proposal effort to NSF for a GK-12 program (twice); not funded • A proposal effort to NSF for an RET program (three times); funded the third time • An ERC proposal to NSF (once); not funded • A proposal to the DOL (once); funded. WDB is a participant in this funded effort

EXCEL-WDB Partnership • The EXCEL-WDB partnership has been instrumental for: • The Institutionalization of the EXCEL program by UCF (started in Fall 2011) • The creation of the WISE Mentoring program at UCF supported by SAIC and other companies in UCF’s vicinity (a peer mentorship program for EXCEL female sophomore students; the mentors are female industry professionals; started in Fall 2011) • The support of the GEMS program by the Engineering Information Foundation; the support starts in Fall 2013 • The successful funding of a STEP 1B grant by NSF, called COMPASS (focuses on encouraging undeclared and non-STEM majors choose STEM and retains them at STEM; started in Fall 2012) • The creation of iSTEM (Initiatives in STEM), a coalition of two STEM colleges at UCF for the pursuit of collaborative STEM proposal efforts and for the coordination of STEM outreach efforts; started in Fall 2012

Poll Questions • Have you had prior experiences with the Workforce Board in your region? • Answer: YES, NO • Has the Workforce Board in your region funded any part (component) of your STEP effort? • Answer: YES, NO

Workforce Board Mission • Established to oversee employment and training initiatives for geographic areas by building partnerships • To increase the skilled workforce within high-demand industry sectors • Meet the needs of employers to enhance the local economy • Federal, local and privately funded not-for-profit organizations • US Department of Labor or Health and Human Services • States are divided into regional boards

Why would a WDB’s partner in STEP sustainability efforts • NSF is funding programs specifically related to STEM regional workforce needs • Regionally driven • Using Labor Market Information (LMI) and Employer Needs • We need an educated workforce to fill STEM jobs

Workforce Board Funding Process • Fundingoccurs through various methods depending on board • RFP • Solicitation • Proposal • Funding cycle 7/1-6/30 • Funding Streams • TANF • WIA/WIA Youth • Grants • Other • Must meet WDB outcomes • Job placement • Increased wage • Others

Poll Questions • What do you expect to gain from attending STEPWork: • Connect with the Workforce Board in my region, • Learn about Successful Sustainability Efforts of Other STEP Grants, • Connect with my other STEP grant Colleagues, • Establish an On-Going and Fruitful Partnership with the Workforce Board in my Region, • Other (Please Specify).

STEPWork Description • The goal of this meeting (workshop), called STEPWork, is to positively impact the institutionalization and sustainability efforts of successful STEP grants. • Emphasis will be placed on sustainability efforts involving partnerships of STEP grantees and Workforce organizations from the STEP grant’s region.

STEPWork Description • STEPWork’s objectives are: • Objective 1:Recruit STEP awardees (junior or senior) to participate and learn from the STEPWork activities. • Objective 2:Selectthree seniorSTEP awardees to participate and contribute in appropriately designed activities during the STEPWork workshop; these STEP awardees are referred to as select senior STEP awardees. • Objective 3: Select25 Workforce Board representatives from a variety of regions in the US to participate and contribute in appropriately designed activities during the STEPWork workshop.

STEPWork Description • STEPWork’s objectives are: • Objective 4: Select 25 junior or senior STEP awardees who will be invited to participate at STEPWork. An effort will be made to match the participating junior, senior STEP awardees with a Workforce Board representative from their region. • Objective 5:Coordinate with the select senior STEP Awardees and the Workforce Board representatives about the type and structure of the activities planned for STEPWork. • Objective 6: Involve, during STEPWork,the junior, senior STEP awardees in joint proposal write-ups to be considered by the Workforce Boards in their region. Demonstrate, during STEPWork and thereafter, to junior, senior STEP awardees successful models of sustainability efforts of STEP programs involving Workforce Boards in their region.

Open Discussion

Poll Questions • What kind of Activities would you like to see at STEPWork? • Panel Discussions of WB reps, • Poster Sessions of STEP grantees, • Write-Up of Proposals for WDBs, • Reporting Out Session, • Social Interactions with Workforce Board Reps, • Other (Please Specify)

STEPWork Description • STEPWork’s activities are: • Recruit Interested STEP Awardees: Timeline:June 2013 – October 2013 • Recruit three (3) Senior STEP Awardees: Timeline:June 2013 – October 2013 • Recruit Workforce Board Representatives (25): Timeline: September 2013- December 2013 • Select STEP Awardees for STEPWork (25): Timeline:January 2014 • Finalize STEPWork Workshop’s Activities: Timeline:February – Match 2014 • STEPWork Workshop is conducted at UCF: Timeline:May 2014 (second week of May)

STEPWork Description • Potential STEPWork’s workshop (1 day (Thursday) and a half day (Friday) workshop) activities are: • Welcome, Organizing Committee, NSF STEP Program Manager • Timeline:a.m. Thursday • Workforce Board Reps Panel Discussion Timeline:a.m. Thursday • STEP Awardees Poster Session (similar to NSF Grantees Poster Session) Timeline: Early p.m. Thursday • Proposal Write-Up Sessions (STEP Awardees; Workforce Reps) Timeline: Rest of the afternoon Thursday

STEPWork Description • Potential STEPWork Workshop’s (1 day (Thursday) and a half day (Friday) workshop) activities are: • Reporting Out Session, Select Pairs of STEP Awardees and Workforce Board Reps Timeline:a.m. Friday • Closing Session, Organizing Committee, NSF STEP Program Manager Timeline:a.m. Friday • Assessment of STEPWork, Assessment Coordinator Timeline:Throughout the Workshop’s Duration

STEPWork’s Direct Benefits • Establish a partnership of a STEP grant’s institution with the Workforce Board in their region • The Workforce Board funds directly STEP grant components • The Workforce Board connects STEP grantees with the industry in their region • The Workforce Board supports other related-to-STEP proposal efforts • The Workforce Board and the STEP grantee pursue proposal efforts collaboratively • The partnership with the Workforce Board helps the STEP grant’s institutionalization efforts • The partnership with the STEP grant and the institution helps the Workforce Board in its mission

STEPWork Indirect Benefits • A forum to connect with other STEP grantees, Workforce Board reps from all over the nation, NSF STEP program managers, others around a single topic of interest to STEP grants, that of Institutionalization and Sustainability • Identify and pursue other forums to connect NSF STEP efforts and DOL efforts • STEPWork becomes a tradition, funded annually or bi-annually by NSF • Workforce Board find avenues to connect with institutions in their region through collaborative STEP efforts

Glossary of Workforce Terms • WDB and WIB are synonyms • Workforce Development Board, Workforce Investment Board • WIA • Workforce Investment Act, federal legislation that defines, funds and measures all WDB’s • TANF • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families • Outcomes • Measures used for funding i.e. job placement, increased wage • Work Experiences • Similar to a URE’s • ITAs • Individual Training Accounts similar to scholarships

Poll Questions • Have you participated in the organization of a workshop or conference before? • Answer: YES, NO • Would you be interested in getting involved in the organization of STEPWork? • Answer: YES, NO • Would be interested in attending STEPWork? • Answer: YES, NO

Thank You

Connecting STEP Grants with Workforce Development Boards for Sustainable STEM Programs