Explorations: Expanding Access to Advanced Manufacturing Training Through an Experiential Learning Model

The project will promote the progress of science, advance national welfare, and prepare a scientifically literate workforce by engaging adults in learning advanced manufacturing skills and habits of mind. This work is important because training opportunities in advanced manufacturing are currently limited for adults looking to enter the industry. The project addresses a gap in learning opportunities for adults in the area of advanced manufacturing, which includes computer-controlled machining skills and other emerging technologies. The initiative will provide training for adults through a comprehensive 9-month training program. Participants will learn specific technical skills, design thinking processes, and how to apply their newfound skills to improving quality of life in their communities. The project will also produce a model of the training program that will be replicable by other public-private partnerships in other areas of the country, promoting education for all Americans. The training module that will be developed will utilize advanced manufacturing skill-building, design thinking, and project-based learning to provide a non-traditional pathway for adults to solve meaningful problems in their communities. Participants will earn certifications for design thinking, computer assisted design and manufacturing, laser cutting, 3D printing, and basic computer numerical control milling operations. They will build a collaborative project to improve public spaces. The success of the project will be assessed through its ability to improve learner skills, confidence, and motivation for learning. Through exploratory and confirmatory mixed methods research, the project will also identify components of the curricular program that contribute to learner outcomes. Based on that research, the project will produce a curriculum playbook that may be used to scale the program across America. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.