NSF Org:	DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education
Recipient:	UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
Initial Amendment Date:	July 13, 2016
Latest Amendment Date:	September 13, 2018
Award Number:	1601552
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Virginia Carter DUE  Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU  Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date:	July 15, 2016
End Date:	June 30, 2020 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$898,073.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$898,073.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2016 = $898,073.00
History of Investigator:	Jackson Cothren (Principal Investigator) jcothre@uark.edu W. Frederick Limp (Co-Principal Investigator) Debby King (Co-Principal Investigator) Tamara Griffin (Co-Principal Investigator) Hanna Ford (Co-Principal Investigator) Robyn Lane (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	University of Arkansas 1125 W MAPLE ST STE 316 FAYETTEVILLE AR  US  72701-3124 (479)575-3845
Sponsor Congressional District:	03
Primary Place of Performance:	University of Arkansas 304 J B Hunt Center Fayetteville AR  US  72701-1201
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	03
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	MECEHTM8DB17
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	Advanced Tech Education Prog
Primary Program Source:	04001617DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s):	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET
Program Element Code(s):	741200
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.076

ABSTRACT

Opening Pathways to Employment through Nontraditional Geospatial Applications in Technical Education (OPEN-GATE) is a collaboration among four community colleges in the University of Arkansas system and the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville that will enable the development of a workforce with job-specific geospatial skills for local industry and government. Regional surveys have shown a strong interest among employers for employees with skills in location-based services and other geospatial technologies as well as their industry-specific skills. OPEN-GATE will develop geospatial technology skill sets in targeted business sectors and emerging industries by augmenting existing programs of study at the four two-year institutions with relevant and industry-specific geospatial applications. The project will leverage educational materials developed by the GeoTech Center, an NSF ATE-funded center, as well as online content already developed by the University of Arkansas. Traditionally, the primary job market for people with strong geospatial educations has been in large cities. The selected integration of these skills with industry-specific training will help increase efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability of businesses and government in the rural heartland.

The growing demand for geospatial technicians across multiple domains illustrates the need for a workforce which understands and utilizes spatial thinking and analysis, at the same time that the rapid evolution and incorporation of geospatial technology into daily life demands a spatially literate community. The goals of the OPEN-GATE project are to increase adoption of geospatial technologies statewide and to expand access to education and training in geospatial technologies in support of industry and government, including transportation, oil and gas, local government, and others. Working together, the UA system partners will formalize agreements to develop a system-wide structure for shared degrees, technical certificates, and/or certificates of proficiency to clearly articulate multiple educational pathways. Employer Advisory Boards for each program of study, made up of industry representatives and local employers, will advise the development of educational curricula to insure that it meets industry needs and act as liaisons between industry and educators. Annual industry-education partnership conferences will facilitate ongoing interaction between industry, faculty, and students, while outreach to secondary school teachers and students will foster early awareness of geospatial technologies, shaping the future workforce and economic development of the region. By enhancing the capacity of educational institutions in the region, the project will expand opportunities for education and training to regions of the state that are currently unserved or underserved.

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

Through the efforts of the OPENGATE project, we sought to improve overall knowledge and awareness of location-based technologies in the developing workforce of Arkansas. We approached this by: 1) providing opportunities and resources for educators to develop skills in spatial data and analysis that in turn can integrated into existing curriculum across a range of topical areas and disciplines; 2) engaging industry partners as stakeholders in identifying key skill sets for the next workforce generation; and 3) extending opportunities to students for development of valuable skill sets for future employment.

We are proud to have involved many in their first investigations into location-based data exploration, increased awareness of data collection methods and analysis, and provided a strong foundation for our partner community colleges to build upon.

To summarize the impact of this project:

• The OPENGATE Partnership one-day conference in November 2018 brought together more than 75 people representing more than 40 individual organizations, among them 4 federal agencies, 7 state agencies, 8 local and regional offices, 5 secondary schools, 6 community and technical colleges, 6 universities, and 7 private industry partners;
• The OPENGATE Professional Development Summer Series saw more than 170 participants during the project;
• More than 25 faculty are now involved with this project either as Campus Champions or users of this technology;
• More than 600 students across the four participating Community College campuses were added to the ArcGIS Online organizations established at each location, with hundreds of StoryMaps and presentations being generated by student users;
• 14 conference presentations were presented by Community College faculty and students;
• 8 easily adapted, unique lesson plan resources were developed. Each easily adaptable for a variety of instructional levels;
• 1 participating Community College has applied for, and received, an ATE grant during the final term of this project that will allow them to continue building on the foundations of this project; and
• 1 participating Community College is currently developing an ATE proposal that would support expansion of faculty development in technology and data science while also providing opportunities for student workforce development in technology.

Last Modified: 07/18/2020
Modified by: Hanna L Ford

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