the costs of printers down so that they are fairly reasonable for most school districts and even families. The software needed to make 3D models is accessible to students free of charge.  Students can download 3D CAD software from Autodesk for free while younger students may use Autodesk’s Tinkercad software online. The one crucial ingredient needed to really make 3D printing ubiquitous in schools is curriculum and curriculum integration. Robotics had a huge increase in momentum when educational institutions such as Carnegie Mellon, Tufts, and Sinclair Community College developed and disseminated curriculum, resources, and challenges that formal and informal educators could use inside and outside the classroom. These curricula include alignment to academic standards so teachers can integrate into their existing curriculum.  Many teachers need professional development, but after a few targeted sessions together with good curriculum, they are on their way. Across the country students began using robots to design, build and program robots of all types and learning, and reinforcing science, technology, engineering and math principles at the same time. 

students with 3D printing, standardized curriculum and integration models are needed.   3D modeling can help students understand some advanced math concepts in geometry, algebra and trigonometry. Science students can discover the differences in materials used for manufacturing. 3D printing, like robotics, can help students develop teamwork skills, improved problem-solving skills and expose students to the engineering design process. Structured lessons for all secondary levels and educator professional development will provide the support that education needs to use 3D printing as another powerful tool to engage students in relevancy of STEM in their everyday lives and provide the opportunities for them to explore and consider STEM career paths.  

National Manufacturing month in Florida. The visit, part of the program called “T-VETs of Hillsborough,” provides veterans and military-in-transition the opportunity to tour manufacturing facilities throughout the county. “T-VETs of Hillsborough” initiative seeks to help increase the pipeline of talent for the manufacturing industry by introducing veterans and military-in-transition to manufacturing as a viable career.

discussion with key personnel. Chromalloy Castings in Tampa, hosted the tour, exhibiting what is said to be one of the most technologically advanced modern casting facilities in the world. This facility features advanced, cutting edge technology from shell lines that fine-tune process control to furnaces that enable the production of the entire range of complex aero, aero derivative, industrial gas turbine and heavy industrial components.

participants. The veteran employees, all from different departments — accounting, production, purchasing among others — told participants a bit about their background and what they did to successfully secure a job in the manufacturing industry. Several subjects were covered from managing expectations in civilian life, education and training, resume, interviews and selling your military skills the right way to potential employers.

the eyes of veterans to better understand career opportunities within the manufacturing industry.” Some of these opportunities include production, R&D, quality control, maintenance, welding, finance, and logistics, to name a few. We would like to thank Chromalloy Castings, FLATE, Hillsborough County, Upper Tampa Bay Manufacturing Association and Career Source Tampa for their support of “T-VETs of Hillsborough”.

Symposium for Vets at HCC, Brandon Campus on Nov. 15.

the opportunity to the educational community in Florida, but also helped secure funds for some students to attend the conference and participate at the showcase. This year’s student showcase comprised of programs from 10 middle and high schools from  Florida. Among them were the student showcase from McLane Middle School in Brandon and Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology in Jacksonville, FL.

at Frank H. Peterson (FHP) Academies in Jacksonville also teamed up with the National Flights Academy to send students for the first time to participate in the Florida student showcase. Stephanny Cahill, Darius Singletary and Charles Stephens were the three students who attended the showcase along with Jessica Parrish, vice principal and Russ Henderlite, instructor for the automation and production technology and director of the robotics program at FHP.

biggest reason is the experiential learning” that students will gain from interacting with educators across the nation said Nicole Palmer, coordinator for career pathways at Valencia College. Other takeaways included a first-hand look at how other CTE programs around the state are configured, as well as an exposure and opportunity to interact with professionals from a variety of fields who answered students’ questions and improved their understanding of what it takes to work in high-tech industry. Both Henderlite and Wilson stated the conference gave their students a chance to talk with local vendors and learn about STEM-based careers that are available to them across Florida. Henderlite was highly impressed with the role NSF ATE Centers like FLATE and its business partners were taking to help educators at the secondary school level to provide students with opportunities to gain experience outside the classroom. Both Henderlite and Wilson agreed “the interaction with adults served as an energizer for students to pursue STEM careers.”

those from: Treasure Coast High School in Port St. Lucie, Boone High School in Orlando, Greco Middle School in Temple Terrace, Middleton High School in Tampa, Leesburg High School in Leesburg, Madison Middle School in Tampa and Celebration High School/Osceola School of Arts/Westside Middle School in Celebration. For more information on the NCPN conference and the Florida student showcase visit www.ncpn.info and www.ftpn.org. To learn about Career and Technical Student organizations head to www.fl-ate.org and www.madeinflorida.org, or contact Executive Director of FLATE, Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org/813.259.6578.

in Florida” student tours on Friday October 3, and more coming scheduled for rest of the month. We hope all manufacturing celebrations and events, this month bring good coverage from the local, regional, state and national press as well as nudge the needle upward on positive perceptions for advanced manufacturing careers and great educational pathways. There are still lot of unfilled jobs requiring skills and education waiting for young talent in all manufacturing sectors. Be on the lookout for local celebrations. You should all be taking part in them!

ATE Principal Investigator Conference. I always say that this conference is like many others- but on steroids! AACC (the American Association of Community Colleges) manages the conference every year in Washington DC.  It’s a packed two days of sessions, round table discussions, workshops, and showcases where all projects and centers disseminate their products, activities, outcomes, best practices and services. It’s a wonderful place to get ideas from existing funded projects and meet new partners. NSF encourages building on and borrowing from successful projects – so how can you loose! 

on engaging youth using non-traditional strategies and social media. Terry will also participate in a student “speed dating” session, exposing student attendees to many industry representatives attending the conference. This in an opportunity for the student to gain insight into what companies want from new hires and opportunities for the industry folks to puzzle together what and how our 21^stcentury student think, and what’s important to them. (I cannot wait to hear what he learns!) We will return to Florida exhausted, but energized – and just in time to announce the 2014 FLATE Manufacturing Educators and Industry awards as a closing highlight to Manufacturing Month.

FLATE in conjunction with regional manufacturers associations, industry and educational partners across Florida took Manufacturing Day in Florida by storm. FLATE’s Manufacturing Day outreach strategy, before, during and after the event, enabled statewide participation. This strategy not only helped build in-roads for communities across Florida to create sustainable partnerships and outreach between Regional Manufacturers Associations, School Districts and manufacturers, but enabled regional manufacturing teams to independently organize tours, proclamations, and sponsorship for official manufacturing day t-shirts.

2014 marked the second year FLATE led a statewide outreach campaign to celebrate National Manufacturing Day in Florida. This cohesive, statewide effort was highly successful not only in organizing statewide industry tours for students, but positioning Florida as a national leader in implementing a statewide strategy for National Manufacturing Day across Florida. This year 3000 middle and high school students from 36 counties toured and/or are set to tour 112 high-tech manufacturers as part of National Manufacturing Day/Month in Florida. A total of 165 events were planned throughout Florida, with many set to take place throughout October 2014. This marks a rise not only in the number of tours compared to last year, but also number of students and industries opening their doors for National Manufacturing Day in Florida.

On a local, regional and/or statewide level, Manufacturing Day dominated the headlines with Gov.

Rick Scott declaring Oct. 3 as the official kick-off day for Manufacturing Month in Florida. This year, Regional Manufacturers Associations (RMA), regional Florida TRADE groups affiliated with colleges and universities across Florida took a more prominent/leading role in hosting tours and/or adopting a school, providing lunch for students, and sponsoring official manufacturing day T-shirts for students and educators to wear while on a manufacturing day tour. RMAs that partnered with FLATE included: Manufacturers Association of Central Florida, First Coast Manufacturers Association, Northwest Florida Manufacturers Council, Bay Area Manufacturers Association, Upper Tampa Bay Manufacturers Association, Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association, Capital Region Manufacturers Association, Marion Regional Manufacturers Association, Manufacturers Association of Florida, South Florida Manufacturers Association, Polk Manufacturers Association, and Sarasota-Manatee Manufacturers Association. Local TRADE group partners included: Florida TRADE at Florida State College at Jacksonville and Florida TRADE at Pasco Hernando State College. Educational/other manufacturing organizations included: Florida Gateway College, Sebring Airport Authority, Palm Beach State College, Florida TRADE at Pasco Hernando State College and the Manufacturing Talent Development Institute at Polk State College. RMAs also worked with local government agencies/entities to secure official manufacturing day/month county proclamations across Florida. This effort yielded in 10 counties in Florida issuing an official manufacturing day/month proclamation.

Given the success and rave response from students, educators, manufacturers as well as

RMAs following the tours last year, FLATE once again conducted a pre and post survey during the tour. To date surveys were sent to 2000 students across Florida. Industry hosts and educators are also encouraged to fill out the surveys on Surveymonkey regarding their experiences.  All are encouraged to send in their surveys/response by Oct. 31. FLATE will compile all survey data, and tabulate results to gauge the overall impact of the tours between now and Oct. 17, 2014 when the tours will officially conclude. Official results will be tabulated and shared in the November edition of the FLATE Focus.

In keeping with the times and changing face of technology, Manufacturing Day in Florida hit social

media with full gusto, with organizations (FL MEP, Career Source FL, BAMA, Forward Florida, Fast Signs, International Trade Association, Pride Elementary School etc) tweeting and retweeting #MFGDayinFL events and news on Facebook and Twitter. To put fun in manufacturing day, this year, for the first time FLATE also launched a fun “Manufacturing Day in Florida” selfie-thon which will conclude on October 31. Individuals and organizations across Florida involved in manufacturing day events, open houses, or tours are encouraged to post and share their pictures/selfies using the #MFGDayinFL. The best selfie submission will be featured in the November edition of the FLATE Focus. FLATE will post a link to all press-related articles and photo galleries on the official Manufacturing Day in Florida website, and across all our social networking platforms that include Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Be sure to get connected and get social!

This year FLATE also developed curriculum for elementary as well as 7th-10th grade students.

Several schools across Florida are currently piloting these lesson plans as part of Manufacturing Day 2014. The lesson plans are currently posted and can be accessed at on FLATE’s Wiki. Feedback will be tabulated and shared in a subsequent edition of the FLATE Focus.

We may have surpassed Oct. 3, the official, kick-off day for Manufacturing Day/month in Florida, but the mission to educate and train the next generation of high-tech workers continues much beyond a single day, or month. FLATE would like to extend special token of appreciation to all industry partners, regional manufacturers associations across the state, educators and sponsors who helped make #MFGDayinFL another fun, educational and successful endeavor for others to emulate on a national level. Thanks for your support; we look forward to yours and additional participation in 2015!

Visit our webpage (https://madeinflorida.org/manufacturing-day) on the “Made in Florida” site for more MFG DAY in FLORIDA information. If you would like to be connected with a regional manufacturers association in your area to discuss outreach activities for students in your community please contact Desh Bagley, FLATE outreach manager at bagley@fl-ate.org/813.253.7838 and Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director at barger@fl-ate.org/ 813.259.6578.  

high-tech manufacturing encompasses middle and high school students as well as educators from all points in the social continuum. In the current and past year, in particular, FLATE reached out to students in rural communities, minority students who face economic challenges, women and girls who remain underrepresented in the STEM based professions and even homeschooled students. FLATE’s efforts to ensure every student is exposed to STEM-based opportunities, be it through traditional classroom learning, problem-based learning, or through experiential learning has yielded strategic partnerships that have positively impacted students as well as educators.

(HSHT) program, Able Trust administrators and coordinators have been on several industry tours arranged by FLATE. The HSHT initiative is designed to provide high school students with disabilities the opportunity to explore jobs, or postsecondary education leading to technology-related careers. Last month, as part of the Able Trust HSHT Conference, FLATE coordinated a tour and luncheon for 70 people that included Education Commissioner, Pam Stewart, Able Trust Directors and HSHT Coordinators, to tour Southern Manufacturing Technologies—a high-tech manufacturer in Tampa. At the tour, Desh Bagley, outreach manager for FLATE gave a presentation about FLATE’s statewide STEM based programs and educational resources that the coordinators could access and incorporate as part of their HSHT teaching experience.

based careers in manufacturing. According to Allison Chase, vice president of youth programs at the Able Trust Foundation in Tallahassee, one of the HSHT groups even participated in the FLATE Toothpick Factory, simulation game to develop soft skills, in preparation for their tour. “Students have been surprised to learn about the variety of jobs available in the manufacturing industry and many have expressed an interest in learning more about manufacturing as a future career” said Chase. Some of the sites they visited in Orlando were Custom Metal Designs, Correct Craft Maker and Mitsubishi Power Systems of America. In addition to the tours in Orlando, 15 students from the Able Trust HSHT program in Tallahassee also attended the manufacturing open house hosted by the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center at Tallahassee Community College. “Students have been surprised to learn about the variety of jobs available in the manufacturing industry and many have expressed an interest in learning more about manufacturing as a future career” Chase said.

College (GCSC). In keeping with the theme of the Forum, Advancing Technology, the Forum included discussion about curriculum and industry certifications, economic development, and FL DOE updates. Thirty-eight attendees from 15 colleges convened at GCSC for a two-day meeting on Sept. 25 and 26. Topics included new technical trends in education, curriculum issues, accelerated credit articulations, articulations with the military, and tracking graduating ET students into the workforce.

Forum continues to meet attendee needs. Two events at this Forum ranked highest with overall ratings of 4.9 out of a possible 5 (Excellent). Those included updates provided by  Richard “Ted” Norman who serves as Florida’s Career and Adult Education State Supervisor for Manufacturing, Transportation, Distribution & Logistics at FL DOE. The other was the tour of GCSC’s new Advanced Technology Center “where innovation, business, and education thrive.” 100% of survey responders reported they intended to use information presented at the ET Forum. Attendees walked away with ideas for “development and modification of manufacturing programs specific to industry needs” and reported that “the networking resulted in partnerships with various colleges.”