Dr. Bradley Harris leads a workshop with dual enrollment instructors at the PIE Center
Cleveland State Community College has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to provide opportunities for local high school dual enrollment students to explore careers in advanced manufacturing. The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga partnered with Cleveland State to develop the Experiential Learning in Advanced Manufacturing towards Novel and Diverse Career Opportunities for Rural Tennessee Students (EXPAND TN).
The EXPAND TN program will work with high school dual enrollment students from Bradley Central High School, Polk County High School and Meigs County High School who are enrolled in the Cleveland State Technical Calculations (ENST 1300) class at the Partners in Industry and Education (PIE) Center in Cleveland.
UTC professors, led by Dr. Bradley Harris, UTC associate professor of chemical engineering, will incorporate project-based learning activities in the class as well as local industry tours and mentorship opportunities for the students.
Officials said, "The grant was developed to increase students’ interest and knowledge of advanced manufacturing and to create a strategy to fill the manufacturing workforce gap."
Ten students from the class will have the opportunity for a paid six-week summer internship with local industry partners at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. These same students will be eligible for college scholarships if they pursue an engineering or advanced technologies degree at Cleveland State or UTC.
“I hope the grant money will start a pipeline that will continue past the grant award,” said Dr. Harris. “I really want these kids to learn what advanced manufacturing is; it’s a very broad term. It can mean sustainability; it can mean green engineering; it can also mean additive manufacturing - really anything that improves the efficiency of manufacturing. I also want them to understand that you don’t have to get an engineering degree; there are multiple routes to go into this field. You can go into a certificate program; you can get a two-year degree in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) or advanced technologies, or you can go for an engineering degree.”
Karen Wyrick, Cleveland State dean of STEM and Advanced Technologies, collaborated with Dr. Harris to design the grant involving the dual enrollment students. “This is an exciting opportunity for these high school students to learn about the advanced manufacturing opportunities in our area while they are also earning college credit,” said Dean Wyrick. “This program highlights our commitment to prepare students with the skills needed for success in the evolving workforce.”
The program is funded by the NSF Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) grant. ExLENT invests funds to expand practical STEM learning opportunities and grow U.S. jobs. UTC and Cleveland State were awarded $800,000 over three years for the EXPAND TN program. Along with UTC and Cleveland State, 37 other higher education and nonprofit institutions from across the country were awarded ExLENT grant funds.
UTC faculty provide a hands-on workshop for dual enrollment instructors at the PIE Center. Pictured, left to right: Adam Stone, Polk County High School principal; Jake Carroll, Cleveland State dual enrollment instructor; Stephanie Philipp, UTC assistant professor STEM education; Dr. Bradley Harris, UTC associate professor of chemical engineering; Karen Wyrick, Cleveland State dean of STEM & Advanced Technologies; Charis Reagan, Cleveland State dual enrollment instructor; Dak Keylon, Cleveland State dual enrollment instructor.