UCF EXCEL STEPWork Webinar Presentation STEPWork Webinar Presentation Opportunity to Connect STEP Grants with Workforce Development Boards May 16, 2013 Michael Georgiopoulos, Interim Dean, CECS, UCF Nirmala Ramlakhan, Founder, Nee-Moh Inc.

UCF EXCEL 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) 11/17/20152

UCF EXCEL 11/17/20153 STEP Program Components STEP Program Components  Mentoring programs  Mentoring programs that involve faculty or peer student mentoring; underrepresented students  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) exposure to potential careers cooperative programs with industry or government internships part-time employment in industry  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; encourage undergraduate research  Programs to encourage undergraduate research, particularly in the early undergraduate years, on- or off-campus; financial incentives  Programs that provide financial incentives to students entering and persisting in the study of STEM;

UCF EXCEL 11/17/20154 EXCEL-WDB Partnership EXCEL-WDB Partnership  The EXCEL-WDB partnership supported GEMS program  The GEMS program, a peer mentorship program for EXCEL female freshman students WDB-STEM program  The WDB-STEM program, which supported research experiences for sophomore EXCEL students and other UCF junior and senior STEM students WDB-NEI  The WDB-NEI program, which supported internship experiences of UCF junior and senior students with local companies

UCF EXCEL 11/17/20155 EXCEL-WDB Partnership EXCEL-WDB Partnership  The EXCEL-WDB partnership supported NSF ICubed  A funded NSF effort, called UCF ICubed (supports interdisciplinary collaborations of STEM students and Visual Arts and Design students) NSFYES  A funded NSF effort, called YES (an NSF S-STEM program that supports internship and entrepreneurship experiences for juniors and seniors at UCF) NSFLEARN  A funded NSF effort, called LEARN (a NSF CCLI, Type 1 program that supports early mentorship experiences for STEM students at UCF) DOE McNair  A funded DOE McNair program for UCF that helps primarily underrepresented students succeed in their graduate studies pursuit

UCF EXCEL 11/17/20156 EXCEL-WDB Partnership EXCEL-WDB Partnership  The EXCEL-WDB partnership supported proposalNSFGK-12  A proposal effort to NSF for a GK-12 program (twice); not funded proposalNSFRET  A proposal effort to NSF for an RET program (three times); funded the third time ERCNSF  An ERC proposal to NSF (once); not funded DOL  A proposal to the DOL (once); funded. WDB is a participant in this funded effort

UCF EXCEL 11/17/20157 EXCEL-WDB Partnership EXCEL-WDB Partnership  The EXCEL-WDB partnership has been instrumental for: InstitutionalizationEXCEL  The Institutionalization of the EXCEL program by UCF (started in Fall 2011) WISE Mentoring  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) GEMS program  The support of the GEMS program by the Engineering Information Foundation; the support starts in Fall 2013 funding of a STEP 1B  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) iSTEM  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

UCF EXCEL 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 11/17/20158

UCF EXCEL 11/17/20159 Workforce Board Mission Workforce Board Mission employment and training initiatives  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  Federal, local and privately funded not-for-profit organizations  US Department of Labor or Health and Human Services  States are divided into regional boards

UCF EXCEL Why would a WDB’s partner in STEP sustainability efforts Why would a WDB’s partner in STEP sustainability efforts programs STEM regional workforce needs  NSF is funding programs specifically related to STEM regional workforce needs  Regionally driven  Using Labor Market Information (LMI) and Employer Needs educated workforce  We need an educated workforce to fill STEM jobs 11/17/201510

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ Workforce Board Funding Process Workforce Board Funding Process  Fundingvarious methods  Funding occurs 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

UCF EXCEL 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). 11/17/201512

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ STEPWork Description STEPWork Description positively impact sustainabilitySTEP  The goal of this meeting (workshop), called STEPWork, is to positively impact the institutionalization and sustainability efforts of successful STEP grants. sustainabilityinvolving Workforce  Emphasis will be placed on sustainability efforts involving partnerships of STEP grantees and Workforce organizations from the STEP grant’s region.

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ STEPWork Description STEPWork Description  STEPWork’s objectives are: Recruitjunior or senior  Objective 1: Recruit STEP awardees (junior or senior) to participate and learn from the STEPWork activities. Selectthree senior  Objective 2: Select three senior STEP awardees to participate and contribute in appropriately designed activities during the STEPWork workshop; these STEP awardees are referred to as select senior STEP awardees. SelectWorkforce Board representatives  Objective 3: Select 25 Workforce Board representatives from a variety of regions in the US to participate and contribute in appropriately designed activities during the STEPWork workshop.

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ STEPWork Description STEPWork Description  STEPWork’s objectives are: Select junior or senior  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. Coordinateselect senior  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. Involvejunior, senior proposal write-ups  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.

UCF EXCEL OPEN DISCUSSION 11/17/201516

UCF EXCEL 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) 11/17/201517

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ STEPWork Description STEPWork Description activities  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 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)

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ STEPWork Description STEPWork Description STEPWork’s workshop activities  Potential STEPWork’s workshop (1 day (Thursday) and a half day (Friday) workshop) activities are:  Welcome  Welcome, Organizing Committee, NSF STEP Program Manager  Timeline: a.m. Thursday Panel Discussion  Workforce Board Reps Panel Discussion Timeline: a.m. Thursday Poster Session  STEP Awardees Poster Session (similar to NSF Grantees Poster Session) Timeline: Early p.m. Thursday  Proposal Write-Up Sessions  Proposal Write-Up Sessions (STEP Awardees; Workforce Reps) Timeline: Rest of the afternoon Thursday

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ STEPWork Description STEPWork Description STEPWork Workshop’s activities  Potential STEPWork Workshop’s (1 day (Thursday) and a half day (Friday) workshop) activities are:  Reporting Out Session  Reporting Out Session, Select Pairs of STEP Awardees and Workforce Board Reps Timeline: a.m. Friday  Closing Session  Closing Session, Organizing Committee, NSF STEP Program Manager Timeline: a.m. Friday  Assessment of STEPWork  Assessment of STEPWork, Assessment Coordinator Timeline: Throughout the Workshop’s Duration

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ STEPWork’s Direct Benefits STEPWork’s Direct Benefits  Establish a partnership of a STEP grant’s institution with the Workforce Board in their region funds directly  The Workforce Board funds directly STEP grant components connects with the industry  The Workforce Board connects STEP grantees with the industry in their region supportsrelated-to-STEP  The Workforce Board supports other related-to-STEP proposal efforts pursue proposal  The Workforce Board and the STEP grantee pursue proposal efforts collaboratively helps institutionalization  The partnership with the Workforce Board helps the STEP grant’s institutionalization efforts helps Workforce mission  The partnership with the STEP grant and the institution helps the Workforce Board in its mission

UCF EXCEL 11/17/ STEPWork Indirect Benefits STEPWork Indirect Benefits forum to connect  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 other forums to connect  Identify and pursue other forums to connect NSF STEP efforts and DOL efforts  STEPWorkannually or bi-annually  STEPWork becomes a tradition, funded annually or bi-annually by NSF  Workforceconnect STEP efforts  Workforce Board find avenues to connect with institutions in their region through collaborative STEP efforts

UCF EXCEL Glossary of Workforce Terms Glossary of Workforce Terms  WDBWIB  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 11/17/201523

UCF EXCEL 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 11/17/201524

UCF EXCEL Thank You