Recipient Organization
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
P. O. BOX 3777
OMAHA,NE 68103
Performing Department
MATH AND NATURAL SCIENCES
Non Technical Summary
In response to local and statewide demand for trained employees to fill new positions in the rapidly growing ethanol production industry. The Washington County Partnership for Bioprocessing Education will create an industry relevant curriculum and K-14 educational pathway leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biotechnology (Bioprocessing Option). Curriculum will feature interdisciplinary and problem based learning in both classroom-based and online formats.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
In response to local and statewide demand for trained employees to fill new positions in the rapidly growing ethanol production industry, The Washington County Partnership for Bioprocessing Education will create an industry relevant curriculum and K-14 educational pathway leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biotechnology (Bioprocessing Option). The proposed Career Pathway curriculum will be achieved as the partnership works together to accomplish the following objectives: 1. Increase by 100 percent, the capacity of Metropolitan Community College (MCC) and Fort Calhoun High School to prepare students for high demand careers in the growing ethanol industry through partnering with Cargill Industries in the collaborative development and implementation of industry standard curriculum for a new Associate of Applied Science degree in Biotechnology (Bioprocessing Option). The innovative career pathway curriculum, to be offered in multiple formats including both
classroom based and online options, provides students a ladder approach to earning academic credentials beginning with dual credit courses and culminating in the Associate of Science degree. 2. Enhance the relevance of the Bioprocessing/Biotechnology curriculum for a minimum of 20 high school students through the development and implementation of the MCC Bioprocessing Career Academy at Cargill Industries. 3. Expand new interdisciplinary curriculum to a minimum of 16 MCC students through a three-quarter, BioTech Learning Community enabling a cohort of both incumbent ethanol production employees and community college students to complete a sequence of paired, interdisciplinary classes over three quarters to complete requirements of the Specialist Diploma in Bioprocessing. 4. Increase the knowledge and use of problem-based teaching methodologies for a minimum of 6 MCC and high school faculty through experiential professional development activities to include a Problem-based Learning
Workshop and Summer Return to Industry Internships. 5. Provide opportunities for professional networking and sharing of resources among all project participants through a project website also accessible to students. A searchable lesson plan database, discussion boards and links to government and curriculum resources will provide a valuable toolkit for teachers at all levels while students, likewise, will be able to access learning resources from this site and participate in course related discussion groups. 6. Increase high school students' and parents' interest in careers related to biotechnology and bioprocessing through dissemination of information related to the Bioprocessing option of the Biotechnology Associate Degree program, Bioprocessing Career Academy, BioTech Learning Community and project outcomes. A two-week Bioprocessing Institute (summer camp) for Faculty and Students and an Agricultural Careers Night at Cargill will provide students, faculty and parents hands-on
activities and information that will increase their knowledge and interest in careers related to Biotechnology and, specifically, Bioprocessing.
Project Methods
Beginning with the summer of 2007, curriculum development teams comprised of Metropolitan Community College (MCC) and Fort Calhoun High School faculty and Cargill representatives will work together to infuse current industry skill standards into existing pre-biotechnology courses, and to develop new courses that build the Bioprocessing option into the Biotechnology Associates Degree. In a key project start up activity, instructor teams from MCC and Fort Calhoun will pair up for two-week 'Return-to-Industry Internships' at Cargill and their partnering businesses. Instructors will spend three days at Cargill and another three days at one or more of Cargill's partnering businesses for purposes of: a) identifying how math and science are used in industry, b) developing lesson plans and outcomes assessments, c) developing at least three mini-lessons to be filmed for downloading, d) documenting the skills needed for bioprocessing jobs, and e) recording the careers and wages
for each level of the career pathway. Following the internships, the two teams, along with their supervisors and deans, will meet for a debriefing session with industry experts and other bioprocess educators at a 'Joint Session with Industry Experts.' The outcome of this half-day meeting will be confirmation of the course sequence needed for degree completion and successful employment. Also during this 2007 summer quarter, curriculum teams will participate in a daylong 'Problem Based Learning Workshop,' the primary goal of which will be to craft, at least one problem-based activity to be implemented in the 'MCC Bioprocessing Career Academy' and 'MCC Biotech Learning Community.' Curriculum development, initiated though professional development sessions and team meetings with industry experts, will continue into fall and winter terms through February 2007, when all course outlines and syllabi for the associate's degree will be complete. Throughout the curriculum development process,
curriculum teams will work together to ensure the new career-pathway curriculum meets industry standards and is offered in multiple venues. Therefore, along with the development of both classroom-based and online courses and lesson plans, instructors and project staff will collaborate over the fall and winter quarters to develop the 'MCC Bioprocessing Career Academy,' 'Career Academy Orientation Night' and 'MCC Biotech Learning Community,' all of which will be implemented by fall 2008. During each quarter of the grant period, project staff along with curriculum development teams, will develop and implement ongoing student, parent, educator and community outreach and recruitment activities represented by (1) 'Agricultural Careers Night at Cargill,' and (2) a ' Bioprocessing Institute' (summer camp) which will provide two weeks of work-based learning for faculty and students in summer 2008. For purposes of replication and dissemination, all products will be posted on the project website
as part of a career pathway toolkit, for download by educators at other colleges and high schools. Project outcomes will be shared at the annual Nebraska Career Education conference and others upon request.