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Project Description

Results from Prior NSF Support

Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) and partners propose to implement the Preparing Vehicle Technicians for Advanced Transportation Fuels project. The project demonstrates potential to benefit society by preparing the 21st century workforce in Kentucky and the nation to be knowledgeable of the evolving technologies that are transforming the transportation industry. To this end, education and training will be provided to secondary students, two-year college students, incumbent workers, educators, and the general public in Kentucky and nearby states on conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric, and electric vehicle technologies; biodiesel, propane, ethanol, compressed natural gas, and liquefied natural gas; and fuel-cell vehicles.

Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) has been involved with the National Science Foundation since 2007, when the college received an ATE grant to implement the Discover Mechatronics – Next Generation Manufacturing (DUE 0702960) project. Funded from 2007 to 2010 (total $597,870), this ATE project involved implementing a certificate-level Mechatronics dual-enrollment program connected to OCTC’s advanced manufacturing associate degree programs; creating internship opportunities for manufacturing students; establishing K-14 level Mechatronics clubs, academies, and robotics competitions; offering related K-14 teacher professional development opportunities; and implementing focused efforts to promote diversity. Project activities were successfully completed within the grant timeframe and sustained. The final grant evaluation, developed by external evaluator Dr. Richard Hinckley of the Center for Occupational Research and Development, is provided as Attachment A. The following is a summary of the accomplishments related to the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact activities supported by the award:

Intellectual Merit:

• The project improved student learning in technician education programs by providing student internship opportunities and hands-on, laboratory experiences, as well as high school and college faculty professional development opportunities. Specifically, 133 students participated in career related events, including industry tours, and 207 faculty were trained in advanced manufacturing concepts involved in Mechatronics.

• The project brought industry expertise to bear on delivery of training and leveraged the funding streams of several partners through becoming regional FIRST Lego League (FLL) qualifier site and the Kentucky Affiliate Partner for the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) high school robotics competition. As a result, the project successfully exposed 5,276 youth to STEM education through recruitment activities, with 152 students participating in Mechatronics academies; 172 high school and adult students enrolling in Mechatronics college courses; and 454 students participating in 50 Mechatronics clubs.

Broader Impacts:

• The project worked with employers to address their current and future technician training needs through involving local industry in curriculum development, internship opportunities for students, and guidance in project implementation through service in an advisory capacity. Likewise, distinct and targeted opportunities for industry involvement were encountered, with active engagement of over ten local STEM industries. Alcoa, Domtar, and Time Warner Cable have continued to donate funding to help sustain the project upon the completion of NSF funding.

• The project broadened opportunities for participation by incorporating recruitment and marketing activities which specifically target diverse populations for enrollment in manufacturing programs, including youth, females, minorities, and disabled populations. Specifically, significant participation of female and minority students in project activities occurred. During the grant, minority enrollment in project activities progressed from a baseline of 1% in 2007 to 4.4% by fall 2009. Final records also indicated that of the 162 high school students enrolled in Mechatronics courses, 25% were female, 1.2% racial minority, and 14% disabled.

• Project results were disseminated through a variety of strategies to include distribution of materials and the development of a project website. In addition, faculty presentations were made at the NSF ATE PI conferences in 2008 and 2009; STEMtech in 2010; the annual National Career Pathways Network Conference in 2009, 2010, and 2011; and the American Association of Community College’s MentorLinks project in 2012. Moreover, the project was selected by the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) and U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a model practice for STEM pipeline development to showcase in Thriving in Challenging Times: Connecting Education to Economic Development Through Career Pathways, which was distributed at the 2009 National Career Pathways Network Conference (see Attachment B).

OCTC has three additional NSF grant awards that are currently in progress. In 2011, OCTC received an NSF ATE grant for the Discover STEM – Generation Innovation (DUE 1103605) project (total award $672,286). This three-year ATE project (2011-2014), currently in its third year of implementation, supports the replication of promising practices identified through Discover Mechatronics (DUE 0702960) at five additional community colleges in Kentucky. Through this effort, K-12 students and faculty throughout the state are involved in STEM clubs, academies, and professional development offerings that support student participation in FIRST Lego League and FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competitions at regional, state, and national levels. The project has been very successful in broadening participation of underrepresented groups. Specifically, of the 447 students served, to date, 63% fall within at least one underrepresented student category (21% female, 9% minority, 4% disabled, 26% low-income, and 4% first-generation college students).

In July 2013, OCTC received an NSF S-STEM grant (DUE 1259032) to fund the OCTC ACCESS to STEM project (total award $619,500), through which students will be awarded scholarships to pursue associate’s degrees in STEM. The project is designed to increase participation of academically-talented, financially-disadvantaged students, particularly underrepresented groups, in postsecondary opportunities in STEM areas of demand in Kentucky and the nation; provide support services that promote the retention of scholars to complete a degree and/or transfer to a four-year institution; and support the successful transition of scholars to employment in STEM areas.

Additionally, in July 2013, OCTC received a sub-award through an NSF ATE grant awarded to Jobs for the Future (total award $900,000) for the Work-Based Learning: Preparing Incumbent Workers for Advanced Manufacturing Careers project (DUE 1304249). The purpose of the project is to field test a work-based learning approach for manufacturing technician education for incumbent workers. New work-based learning courses will be adapted from existing courses and National Institute of Manufacturing Standards standards and piloted with incumbent workers in the advanced manufacturing industry in western Kentucky. A suite of professional development tools and multimedia resources will be developed by WGBH Educational Foundation for faculty at other colleges and employers. These tools will also be posted to the PBS LearningMedia digital platform to support wider adoption of a work-based learning design in manufacturing technician education.

As the three NSF awards described are currently in the implementation phase, information on the completed work is not available and therefore not provided. It is also important to note that the Principal Investigator for this proposed project, Michael Rodgers, was involved in the development of an S-STEM proposal at Piedmont Technical College (SC) for the HI-TECH Scholars project (DUE 1060587, $599,064, 2011-2015). Although he was included as a co-PI, he left Piedmont prior to the award being finalized, and therefore, did not dedicate any time and effort to the grant project.

Broader Impacts of The Proposed Project

The broader impacts of the project include:

• Promoting diversity in the workforce by increasing participation of females and other groups underrepresented in STEM (disabled, minorities, low-income, and first-generation college students) in technician training through targeted recruitment efforts based on proven strategies identified through prior successful NSF projects.

• Increasing partnerships between academia, industry, and others to support the evolving transportation industry in Kentucky and the nation, including Consulab, ATECH, Atmos Energy, Cummins, the KY Corn Growers Association, the KY Clean Fuels Coalition, the KY Propane Gas Association, and the KY Department of Energy Development and Independence.

• Widely disseminating project results that will be useful to educators, industry, and government leaders across the nation interested in the evolving science and technology advancements related to advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels.

• Increasing public science literacy and public engagement with science and technology through a variety of outreach efforts, including a National Alternative Fuel Vehicles Day Odyssey.

Motivating Rationale

The transportation industry in the Unites States has undergone innovative transformation in recent years as global climate change and reduction in oil consumption have become critical priorities of our county.1 In response, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a rule in October 2012, entitled the 2017 and Later Model year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards.2 According to the new rule, vehicle manufacturers must follow CO2 emissions standards that require automobiles to be more fuel-efficient. Specifically, the average miles-per-gallon capacity for passenger cars and light-duty trucks must increase from 35.1 miles-per-gallon in 2017 to 48.7 miles-per-gallon in 2025.3

Consequently, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports in the Annual Energy Outlook 2013 that sales of light-duty vehicles using diesel, other alternative fuels, hybrid-electric, and all-electric systems are expected to increase from 20% in 2011 to 49% in 2040.4 To this end, light-duty vehicle sales that do not rely solely on gasoline internal combustion engines for motive and accessory power are expected to grow by almost 72% by 2040.5 In addition, EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard requires a minimum volume of biofuels to be used in the national transportation fuel supply each year.6 EPA and NHTSA also established fuel-efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which set fuel consumption mandates by 2017.7 As a result, tractor trailers, vocational vehicles, buses, heavy-duty pick-ups, and vans are increasingly using compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas, causing natural gas to be the fastest-growing fuel in the transportation sector with an expected average annual growth rate of 11.9% from 2011-2040.8

As the manufacturing of passenger cars and light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles evolves, technician training in automotive and diesel technologies must also advance to ensure an adequate supply of trained, qualified technicians is available to meet workforce demands. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment for automotive service technicians and mechanics is expected to grow by 17% (or 124,800 workers) through 2020.9 The same occupational outlook is true for the field of diesel technicians and mechanics, which is expected to experience a growth of 15% (or 35,200 workers) through 2020.10 Similar growth is expected for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians, anticipated to grow by 16% (28,200 workers) through 2020.11

To meet the occupational demand in Kentucky and the United States, the nation’s community and technical colleges, which serve as the primary training provider for automotive and diesel technician training, must retool and update curriculum to reflect the rapidly changing needs of the transportation industry. In addition, as the industry becomes more science- and technology-driven, training programs must be updated to reflect the needs of employers, who report difficulty finding workers with the right skills and education.12 To meet the needs of today’s employers, training programs must address advanced technologies in the industry, including hybrid vehicles, biofuels, compressed or liquefied natural gas, and retrofitting to comply with environmental standards.13 They should also be designed to increase the number of highly-trained technicians available to fill future workforce needs by promoting diversity in the industry. This can be accomplished by encouraging groups traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, such as females, minorities, disabled, low-income, and first-generation college students, to pursue automotive and diesel technician careers.

Currently, community and technical college training programs are not keeping up with industry demands. However, several ATE grant programs have been implemented and can serve as models for other community colleges wishing to adapt and update their curriculum, including:

• Pittsburg State University’s Hybrid/Future Power Technology program (DUE 1003570) focuses on curriculum development for hybrid vehicle theory, operation, and service, as outlined by the National Automotive Technical Education Foundation (NATEF).

• Lewis and Clark Community College’s Implementation and Expansion of Science-Based Service Technology in HEVs (DUE 1204362) focused on curriculum development and other activities with hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and introducing HEVs to underrepresented groups.

• Texas State Technical College–Waco’s Development of an Advanced Technical Certificate in Advanced Vehicle Systems (DUE 1204999), involves providing light-duty diesel, compressed natural gas, and hybrid vehicle curriculum, materials, and laboratory development.

• Macomb Community College’s Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (DUE 1003032) is a national center working to reform current automotive technician education at the secondary and postsecondary levels.

Owensboro Community and Technical College, in partnership with the KY Clean Fuels Coalition, Atmos Energy, the KY Propane Gas Association, Cummins Engines, the Department of Energy Development and Independence, ATECH Training, Consulab, and the KY Corn Growers Association, proposes to implement the Preparing Vehicle Technicians for Advanced Transportation Fuels project. The project is designed to build upon the work conducted to date in automotive and diesel technician training at the community college level, as presented above, and to adapt best practices and advancements across the industry with curriculum offerings at OCTC.

Implementation of the proposed project is very timely, as the transportation industry in Kentucky has undergone a variety of innovations in recent years. Kentucky has implemented the Green Fleets of the Bluegrass program that supports improvements to environmental performance of vehicle fleets across the state by reducing petroleum use.14 The state is home to the largest fleet of hybrid-electric school buses in the country.15 E85 stations have been installed across the state.16 Carmeuse Lime uses biodiesel (B99) in their operations at two Kentucky sites with an annual usage of over one million gallons.17 An Electric Vehicle Leadership Team has been established to provide direction for the Plug-In Kentucky efforts.18 The number of compressed natural gas refueling stations doubled in the last year.19 UPS’s worldwide hub, located in Louisville, Kentucky, uses propane in their off-road vehicles.20 Mammoth Cave National Park has invested in multiple transportation-related projects, resulting in an all-advanced technology/alternative fuel vehicle fleet fueled by propane, ethanol, biodiesel, and electricity.21

Likewise, legislation was passed in 2013 that encourages the use of advanced technology and alternative transportation fuels in Kentucky. House Bill 212 defines clean transportation fuel, conversion, liquefied petroleum gas, and other terms associated with retrofitting vehicles to operate on liquefied or compressed natural gas; requires safety inspections of vehicles burning natural gas; includes Kentucky’s colleges in the state strategy for developing those fuels; and establishes a tax incentive program to encourage the installment of compressed and liquefied natural gas stations.22

The Preparing Vehicle Technicians for Advanced Transportation Fuels project will be the first of its kind in Kentucky and has potential to be replicated at the fifteen other colleges who are members of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and other two-year colleges throughout the U.S. The project bodes well for increased participation of Kentucky youth in STEM education, by utilizing automotive and diesel technician training programs at the community college level as a platform to engage in science and technology. This is especially important, as Kentucky sadly ranks 48th in the nation in number of science and engineering degrees awarded.23 In addition, the project promises increased diversity of underrepresented groups, particularly females, in the male-dominated automotive and diesel technician industries, which are included in the ten most male-dominated occupations in the U.S., with females representing less than 2% of the workforce.24

Finally, the project is designed to build upon the current work in the field by addressing the evolving science and technology advances found in the transportation industry. To this end, it is designed to prepare a diverse 21st century workforce in Kentucky and the nation, by providing student, instructor, and incumbent worker training in conventional hybrid, plug-in electric, and electric vehicle technologies; alternative fuel vehicles; and converting vehicles for alternative fuel usage (biofuels, propane, ethanol, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and fuel-cell vehicles). Hence, the project is designed to produce more qualified science and engineering technicians to meet future workforce needs and to expand the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines that are essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering in America.

Goals and Objectives

Table 1 summarizes the proposed project’s goals and objectives:

|Table 1: Preparing Vehicle Technicians for Advanced Transportation Fuels Goals and Objectives |

|Goal 1 Support Increased Skill Levels of Future Automotive and Diesel Technicians in Kentucky – Improve the skill levels of high school and |

|college students enrolling in automotive and diesel technician training by incorporating innovative and evolving alternative fuels |

|technologies into the curriculum. |

|Objective 1 – Provide advanced technology training in advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels to a minimum of 150 college |

|students enrolling in OCTC’s automotive and diesel technology training programs during the grant period of performance. |

|Objective 2 – Expose 150 high school students, particularly those underrepresented in STEM (females, minorities, disabled, low-income, and |

|first-generation students), to the high-tech field of automotive and diesel technology, thus promoting a pipeline of diverse students to |

|support the industry’s future occupational demands. |

|Goal 2 Support Increased Skill Levels of Current Automotive and Diesel Technicians in Kentucky – Improve the skill levels of the current |

|workforce by providing industry-validated certifications in innovative and evolving alternative fuels technologies in the transportation |

|industry. |

|Objective 3 – Provide training leading to an industry-endorsed certification in alternative fuels technologies to 100 incumbent workers |

|employed in the automotive and diesel technology industries in Kentucky and bordering states that fall within the KCTCS service area. |

|Goal 3 Support Increased Skill Levels of Current and Future Secondary and Postsecondary STEM Educators in Kentucky – Improve the skill levels|

|of current and future high school and college educators by providing professional development in innovative and evolving alternative fuels |

|technologies found in the transportation industry. |

|Objective 4 – Provide professional development training related to advances in the automotive and diesel technician training to 90 current |

|and future high school and college instructors who teach in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. |

|Goal 4 Support Increased Public Awareness of the Evolving Transportation Industry – Increase public awareness of the evolving technologies |

|transforming the transportation industry. |

|Objective 5 – Promote increased public engagement and awareness of science and technology used in the transportation industry to 1,000 |

|citizens in Kentucky and surrounding states through hosting a National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Odyssey Day Event. |

Deliverables/Activities

Preparing Vehicle Technicians for Advanced Transportation Fuels project activities are described below and directly correlate to each objective, promoting achievement of project goals.

Objective 1 – Provide advanced technology training in advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels to a minimum of 150 college students enrolling in OCTC’s automotive and diesel technology training programs during the grant period of performance.

Activity 1a – Update OCTC’s curriculum in the Automotive Technology and Diesel Technology Associate of Applied Science degree programs to reflect advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels present in today’s workplace.

OCTC currently offers an Associate of Applied Science in Automotive Technology program, as well as an Associate of Applied Science in Diesel Technology. Both programs are accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), ensuring graduates can successfully pass Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications. To build upon the work currently being carried out throughout the country, curriculum developed by Pittsburg State University (DUE 1003570), Lewis and Clark Community College (DUE 1204362), Texas State Technical College-Waco (DUE 1204999), and Macomb Community College (DUE 1003032) will serve as a guide in redesigning OCTC’s curriculum to reflect industry practices, with model practices adapted for the automotive industry in Kentucky.

To this end, under the guidance of the Principal Investigator and the grant steering committee, which is comprised of strong industry representation (see project partnership listing on page 11), OCTC faculty will offer a new five credit hour course, Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (AUT 275-276), and will redesign the current curriculum in 20 credit hours of automotive and diesel technology courses to embed advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels found in today’s transportation industry. Courses to be redesigned include Basic Fuel and Ignition Systems with a Laboratory (AUT 140-141); Emission Systems with a Laboratory (AUT 142-143); Power Train with a Laboratory (DIT 150-151); and Power Train for Construction Equipment with a Laboratory (DIT 152-153). In addition to assisting with developing and embedding alternative fuels competencies in the curriculum, project partners will also help deliver the concepts to students in class by serving as a guest lecturer in person or via technology (i.e. Skype).

Activity 1b – Provide training for current OCTC automotive and diesel technology faculty to ensure they are competent in current technologies transforming the transportation industry.

Four full-time faculty and two adjunct faculty in OCTC’s automotive and diesel technology programs will participate in training provided by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC). The only nationwide alternative fuel vehicle and advanced technology vehicle training organization in the United States, NAFTC offers a train-the-trainer program to teach alternative fuel vehicle technology to trainers, who in turn provide training to their students. Participating OCTC faculty will receive updated training encompassing the evolution of the alternative fuels vehicle industry, technical materials, training aids, and online information through NAFTC’s website.

Activity 1c – Develop an internship program through which OCTC students can participate in work-based learning in actual industry settings.

Automotive and diesel technology students will have the opportunity to participate in an internship opportunity at a vehicle repair facility in OCTC’s four-county service area in western Kentucky. Internship opportunities will allow students to experience advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels first-hand in real-life, industry settings. Students will also use the internship to create a network of contacts that can assist them in gaining employment upon college completion. Employers will ensure that training is provided on tasks that align with the national Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. In addition, internship supervisors will provide regular feedback to interns and OCTC faculty by completing bi-weekly written evaluations.

It is anticipated that the length and hours per week involved with each internship opportunity will be customized to fit both the student’s and employer’s needs; however, it is expected that each internship will last for eight to twelve weeks and involve 150 hours of work-based training in hybrid, biofuels, and compressed natural gas engines. Students will be required to meet with their supervising instructor at least twice during the internship period and will earn three-hours of college credit upon successfully completing the project. Participating students will receive a small stipend to offset the costs associated with traveling to and from their internship placement.

Activity 1d – Establish a Cummins CNG Engine training program through which OCTC students can receive online and hands-on training to service heavy-duty vehicles that utilize compressed natural gas.

Through a partnership between OCTC, Cummins Engines, and Atmos Energy, OCTC will establish a Cummins Certified Training program, through which OCTC automotive and diesel technology students will receive training to work on heavy-duty trucks powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). Students will receive technology-enhanced training through Cummins Virtual College, which will involve students utilizing an interactive computer-based learning system. They will also receive hands-on training on a CNG trainer provided by Cummins for use with the project in the classroom. To support refueling the CNG trainer, Atmos Energy will install a natural gas line for a refueling station on OCTC’s campus. In addition, OCTC faculty will be certified through Cummins train-the-trainer program, so they can provide the students with the hands-on portion of the training.

Objective 2 – Expose 150 high school students, particularly those underrepresented in STEM, to the high-tech field of automotive and diesel technology, thus promoting a pipeline of diverse students to support the industry’s future occupational demands.

Activity 2a – Host a summer academy for area youth, particularly those underrepresented in the industry, to develop the pipeline and encourage interest in the highly-technical fields of automotive and diesel technologies.

OCTC and partners will host a 3-5 day summer academy each year of the three-year grant project to encourage 150 middle school and high school students (50 per year) to pursue education and careers in automotive and diesel technology. In particular, underrepresented groups in STEM will be actively recruited for participation, to include females, minorities, disabled, low-income, and first-generation college students. OCTC has hosted a variety of summer academies for youth in recent years, and has found them to be an excellent tool in engaging young people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), particularly the underrepresented groups referenced. A key strategy the college has found successful in recruiting underrepresented groups in STEM involves working closely with guidance counselors, teachers, and resource center personnel at local schools to recruit these students for participation. School personnel are provided with information about the academy offering and asked to share it with students typically underrepresented in STEM and their parents.

At the academy, OCTC faculty and partner agency professionals will provide students with timely information about the transportation industry (i.e. careers, salaries, education, and job outlook), as well as opportunities to learn using hands-on, active learning. Specific activities that will be conducted include converting a gas engine automobile to use propane gas, converting a gas engine automobile to use compressed natural gas, building a model hydrogen fuel cell car, and creating biodiesel from vegetable oil. The Academy will conclude with an evening reception for faculty, students, and parents to allow students to showcase and present their projects and findings. Students must provide their own transportation to and from the academy, and students who complete the activities will keep their projects, as appropriate.

Objective 3 – Provide training leading to an industry-endorsed certification in alternative fuels technologies to 100 incumbent workers employed in the automotive and diesel technology industries in Kentucky and bordering states that fall within the KCTCS service area.

Activity 3a – Host a summer training program for current technicians in the transportation industry that leads to certifications in alternative fuels technology.

OCTC and partners will conduct training offerings during the grant period to train current technicians throughout Kentucky and bordering states to service hybrid, biofuels, and compressed natural gas engines. Each partner will be actively involved in providing the training. Specifically, Atmos Energy and Cummins Engines will assist OCTC faculty in providing training on compressed natural gas engines. Likewise, the KY Department of Energy Development and Independence and the KY Corn Growers Association, will assist in providing training on ethanol and biofuels.

Thirty (30) hours of training will be provided, which will include the following subject matter: introduction to hybrid, biofuels, and compressed natural gas engines; an emphasis on how each operates and how to perform basic diagnostics; and advanced diagnostics and repairs to alternative fuel vehicles. Technicians successfully completing the training will be prepared to take ASE certifications in compressed natural gas (CNG), L1, and L2. For those residing near OCTC, training will occur over a two-week period, Monday through Thursday. To accommodate daily work schedules of automotive and diesel technicians, training will be provided from 5:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For those who must travel to attend training, one or more sessions will be condensed to a four-day period, which may be held during two weekends, as determined by scheduling needs of trainees.

Objective 4 – Provide professional development related to advances in the automotive and diesel technician training to 90 middle, high school, and college instructors who teach in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Activity 4a – Provide training to two-year faculty employed at Kentucky community college campuses to support the replication of the program at other colleges throughout Kentucky.

OCTC is one of sixteen colleges that make up the statewide Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Fourteen of the sixteen colleges provide automotive technician training, and eleven offer training in diesel technology. Full-time and adjunct faculty from these colleges will be invited to participate in advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels training at OCTC, to be provided by the college with the assistance of partner organizations, as follows:

• propane (KY Propane Gas Association)

• compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas (Atmos Energy and Cummins Engines)

• biodiesel and ethanol (Department of Energy Development and Independence and the KY Corn Growers Association)

• fuel-cell vehicles (ATECH Training and Consulab)

• hybrid electric, plug-in/extended range, and electric vehicles (KY Clean Fuels Coalition)

The training program will be comprised of two, one-week sessions in 2015 and 2016, with different topics covered each year. To support the availability of faculty to participate, training will be offered during the third week of May or the first week of August, which encompasses times when the faculty are still on contract to work, but when classes are no longer in session. It is anticipated that 30 faculty will receive hands-on training and resources to take back to their home colleges that will assist them in incorporating the competencies within their own curriculum programs. Moreover, it is important to note that KCTCS utilizes a common course catalog system, making it possible for classes developed at OCTC to be easily replicated at other KCTCS colleges.

Activity 4b – Provide training to middle/high school teachers in Kentucky to develop the pipeline and encourage interest in the high-tech fields of automotive and diesel technologies.

OCTC and partners will host a 2-day summer professional development offering during each year of the three-year grant project for middle and high school teachers. Twenty (20) teachers will be recruited to participate during each year of the grant (2015, 2016, and 2017), for a total of sixty (60) teachers served. Similar to the proposed youth academy described under Activity 2a, OCTC faculty and partner agency professionals will provide teachers with timely information about the transportation industry (i.e. careers, salaries, education, and job outlook), as well as opportunities to learn using hands-on, active learning. Specific activities that will be conducted include converting a gas engine automobile to use propane gas, converting a gas engine automobile to use compressed natural gas, building a model hydrogen fuel cell car, and creating biodiesel from vegetable oil. Teachers will be provided with age-appropriate written materials, as well as a Soy Biodiesel Chemistry Education kit, developed by Purdue University, to demonstrate basic skills and principles of chemistry, as related to applications to the alternative fuel industry. Teachers will be able to use the kits with 20 students at their respective schools. Follow-up visits will be made by OCTC automotive faculty to high school classrooms of participating teachers to talk about the evolving transportation field and its availability as a viable career option.

Objective 5 – Promote increased public engagement and awareness of science and technology used in the transportation industry to 1,000 citizens in Kentucky and surrounding states through hosting a National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Odyssey Day Event.

Activity 5a – Host a National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey to increase awareness of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies and their potential for fuel efficiency.

The National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey is hosted every two years to provide outreach and education that promotes the use of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. Odyssey provides people of all ages and professions with the opportunity to learn about viable clean vehicle alternatives. The project is coordinated by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium at West Virginia University and the U.S. Department of Energy. In 2012, over 250,000 individuals attended these events, which were hosted at 151 sites throughout the United States. To further promote the importance of technician education in the transportation field, OCTC and partners will become a site host for the event in 2016. Event activities will include ride and drives with alternative fuel vehicles; alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle displays; and educational seminars, mini-workshops, and demonstrations related to alternative fuels. The event will serve to bring together industry experts and the public to foster ideas, research, and education in alternative fuel and advanced technology fields.

Timetable

Table 2 on the following page provides a timeline with key activities/associated tasks and the projected timeframe within which the proposed project will be implemented.

|Table 2: Timeline |

|Activities/Associated Tasks |

|Grant steering committee meets to review the grant proposal and begin project implementation |

|Model curriculum obtained from 4 sites |

|Recruit for youth summer academies |

|Recruit for incumbent worker training offerings |

|Recruit for KCTCS faculty training offerings |

|Host Alternative Fuels Vehicles Day Odyssey event |

|Meet initially with external evaluator to finalize evaluation methodology and establish baseline data |

|Organization Name |Representative Name/Title |

|Owensboro Community and Technical College |Michael Rodgers, Associate Dean |

|Owensboro Community and Technical College |Keith Lewis Nall, Instructor |

|Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition |Melissa Howell, Executive Director |

|Atmos Energy |Kevin Dobbs, VP of Operations |

|Kentucky Propane Gas Association |Jay McCants, Executive Director |

|Cummins Engines |Brian Bane, Louisville Branch Manager |

|Department of Energy Development and Independence |John Davies, Deputy Commissioner |

|ATECH Training |Laura Lyons, President |

|Consulab |Kevin Boden, President |

|Kentucky Corn Growers Association |Laura Knoth, Executive Director |

While the grant steering committee will meet quarterly, a sub-committee structure will be utilized to provide guidance based on project needs and individual expertise. To this end, sub-committees comprised of representation of individuals with applicable expertise will meet monthly, quarterly, and/or bi-annually, as determined by need, to develop and oversee project management activities. Sub-committee areas will include curriculum development, recruitment, marketing, professional development, academies, and others, based on project goals, objectives, and activities.

In addition to serving on the grant steering committee, partners will also assist with the planning and implementation of project activities, to include curriculum development efforts, instruction to students, professional development for OCTC faculty, the Odyssey Day event, technician training events, youth academies, and teacher professional development events. In addition, each partner will assist with project sustainability and disseminations efforts, and some will include a link to the project information on their respective websites. Moreover, partners are providing a wide-array of supports, some of which include installing a natural gas line for a refueling station to refuel the CNG trainers that are used in the diesel curriculum (Atmos Energy), two propane/bi-fuels conversion kits (KY Propane Gas Association), access to Cummins Virtual College (Cummins Engines), and use of a Cummins CNG trainer (Cummins Engines). Letters of support documenting each partner’s commitment are attached in the Supplementary Documentation section (Attachments C1-9).

Roles and Responsibilities of PI, Co-PI’s, and Other Senior Personnel

As Principle Investigator, Michael Rodgers will be responsible for overall project development, implementation, and evaluation. As co-PI, Keith Lewis Nall will assist with project activities and instructional efforts. One Alternative Fuels Coordinator will be hired to help implemented the youth academies, professional development offerings, and other training activities associated with the project. All parties will support the general activities of the grant at the direction of the PI with assistance from applicable partners, as noted in the Timetable and Management Plan. The responsibilities and percentage breakdown of each key position associated with the project are described in Table 4. An attached summary listing all people receiving compensation from the project is attached, as required (Attachment D).

|Table 4: Breakdown of Key Personnel |

|Position |Duties |% T&E |

|Alternative Fuels |Assist with the implementation of all project activities, to include summer youth academies, teacher |100% |

|Coordinator |professional development, technician training, Odyssey event, and KCTCS faculty training | |

| |Develop and establish internship program | |

| |Serve as a liaison between all project partners | |

| |Coordinate steering committee meetings | |

| |Create a project website and link to partner websites | |

| |Assist with all evaluation data collection efforts | |

| |Assist with all dissemination activities | |

|Michael Rodgers |Providing general oversight of project development and implementation |20% |

| |Develop and submit required reports | |

| |Serve as the contact with NSF | |

| |Serve as internal evaluator | |

| |Supervise project personnel | |

|Keith Lewis Nall |Provide instruction in advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels used in the transportation|20% |

| |industry to OCTC students | |

| |Assist with the implementation of all project activities, to include internship placements, summer youth | |

| |academies, teacher professional development, technician training, Odyssey Day event, and KCTCS faculty | |

| |training | |

Plan for Sustainability

Much of the funding requested through the proposed project is non-recurring, and as such, will not be required for continuation of project activities upon completion of NSF funding. For instance, the NSF grant will provide start-up equipment that will be utilized after the project is complete. The curriculum and internship program to be developed during the grant will be incorporated in the standard college offerings, and as such will be continued. Likewise, as demonstrated by the extensive industry support provided, the project has great potential to continue to garner additional industry interest and support. As a result, items requiring financial support to be continued, such as consumable supplies needed for academies and professional development offerings, can be maintained through leveraging partnerships with industry. It is desired that industry involvement will be developed to a level that project sustainability will be enhanced as more leaders become aware of the need to support Kentucky’s alternative fuels industry.

Evaluation Plan

Internal evaluation will be conducted by PI Michael Rodgers. Rodgers will work in conjunction with Dr. Richard Hinckley, external evaluator, to carry out the evaluation plan. Dr. Hinckley (resume attached – Attachment E), has an extensive background in writing, managing, and evaluating federal grants and projects and currently serves on the NSF NVC of the SCATE Center. He has written several successful NSF project proposals, served as external evaluator for two ATE Centers and on ATE projects, served NSF as a project reviewer, and worked for seventeen (17) years at Moraine Valley Community College.

Details of the complementary functions of internal and external evaluation have been agreed upon and a quarterly evaluation schedule will be maintained to provide for continuous contact between internal and external evaluation. Formative evaluation, for continuous project performance improvement, and summative evaluation, for project accountability, quality, and impact, will be employed. The initial evaluation questions and data collection and analysis methods have been determined, as summarized in Table 5. While conditions of quantitative data collection will be held constant, opportunities for additional qualitative data collection and analysis will remain fluid as the project evolves and meets new challenges and opportunities. In addition, a Data Management Plan is attached for review, as required (Attachment F).

|Table 5: Evaluation Questions and Data Collection/Analysis Methodology |

|Goals/Objectives/Activities |Evaluation Questions |Data Collection/Analysis Methods |

|Goal 1 Support Increased Skill Levels of Future Automotive and |What are innovative & evolving |Surveys of industry; trade journal |

|Diesel Technicians in Kentucky – Improve the skill levels of |alternative fuels technologies? |articles; studies; documentable research|

|high school and college level students enrolling in automotive | |Comparison of curriculum before and |

|and diesel technician training by incorporating innovative and |What innovative & evolving |after incorporation |

|evolving alternative fuels technologies into the curriculum. |technologies were incorporated into |Evidence of industry approval/validation|

| |the curriculum | |

|Objective 1 – Provide technology training in advanced |How many students enrolled in the |Record cumulative student counts by |

|transportation technologies and alternative fuels to a minimum |training programs? |course – both duplicated and |

|of 150 college students enrolling in OCTC’s automotive and | |unduplicated |

|diesel technology training programs during the grant period of | | |

|performance. | | |

|Activity 1a – Update OCTC’s curriculum in the Automotive |What alternative fuels technologies |Audit industry worksites and document |

|Technology and Diesel Technology Associate of Applied Science |are present in today’s workplace? |findings; show level of consensus among |

|degree programs to reflect transportation technologies and | |worksites |

|alternative fuels present in today’s workplace. |What technologies were added to the | |

| |curriculum? |Document curriculum additions/changes |

|Activity 1b – Provide training for current OCTC automotive and |What is competency in current |Show industry consensus on competency |

|diesel technology faculty to ensure they are competent in |technologies? |standards |

|current technologies transforming the transportation industry. | | |

| |How is competency attainment |Provide data/results of competency |

| |measured? |assessment |

|Activity 1c – Develop an internship program through which OCTC |Was an internship program developed? |Document development of the internship |

|students can participate in work-based learning in actual | |program |

|industry settings. |Does it include work-based learning | |

| |in an actual industry setting? |Document work-based learning |

| | |opportunities in each industry setting |

|Activity 1d – Establish a Cummins CNG Engine training program |Was a Cummins CNG Engine training |Document program development and |

|through which OCTC students can receive online and hands-on |program developed? |inclusion of online and hands-on |

|training to service heavy-duty vehicles that utilize compressed | |curriculum components |

|natural gas. |Were on-line and hands-on training | |

| |provided? | |

|Objective 2 – Expose 150 high school students, particularly |How many students in total and from |Record cumulative student counts in |

|those underrepresented in STEM (females, minorities, disabled, |each category were “exposed” to the |total and by categories |

|low-income, and first-generation students), to the high-tech |technology? | |

|field of automotive and diesel technology, thus promoting a | |Survey students for intent to pursue a |

|pipeline of diverse students to support the industry’s future |Did “exposure” lead to promoting a |related occupation as a result of the |

|occupational demands. |pipeline of students for industry? |“exposure” |

|Activity 2a – Host a summer academy for area youth, particularly|Was a summer academy developed? |Document the summer academy program |

|those underrepresented in the industry, to develop the pipeline | |development |

|and encourage interest in the highly-technical fields of |Was interest encouraged? |Survey students for their level of |

|automotive and diesel technologies. | |interest in the fields as a result of |

| | |the academy |

|Goal 2 Support Increased Skill Levels of Current Automotive and |What industry-validated |Provide list/evidence of the |

|Diesel Technicians in Kentucky – Improve the skill levels of the|certifications were provided? |industry-validated certifications |

|current workforce by providing industry-validated certifications| | |

|in innovative and evolving alternative fuels technologies in the| | |

|transportation industry. | | |

|Objective 3 – Provide training leading to an industry-endorsed |Was training provided? |Document the training opportunities |

|certification in alternative fuels technologies to 100 incumbent| |provided |

|workers employed in the automotive and diesel technology |How many incumbent workers | |

|industries in Kentucky and bordering states that fall within the|participated? |Record cumulative incumbent worker |

|KCTCS service area. | |totals and resultant industry-endorsed |

| |What industry-endorsed certifications|certifications earned |

| |were earned? | |

|Activity 3a – Host a summer training program for current |Was a summer training program |Document the summer program planning and|

|technicians in the transportation industry that leads to |“hosted”? |outcome |

|certifications in alternative fuels technology. | | |

|Goal 3 Support Increased Skill Levels of Current and Future |How is skill level improvement |Document measurements utilized to show |

|Secondary and Postsecondary STEM Educators in Kentucky – Improve|measured? |gain/change in skill level |

|the skill levels of current and future high school and college | | |

|educators by providing professional development in innovative |What professional development was |Provide documentation of professional |

|and evolving alternative fuels technologies found in |provided and how was it linked to |development activities and how it was |

|transportation industry. |technologies found in the industry? |linked to industry |

|Objective 4 – Provide professional development training related |How was the training related to |Demonstrate/show relation of |

|to advances in the automotive and diesel technician training to |advances in technician training? |professional development provided |

|90 current and future high school and college instructors who | | |

|teach in areas of science, technology, engineering, and math. |How many targeted instructors were |Record cumulative number of students |

| |trained? |trained |

|Activity 4a – Provide training to two-year faculty employed at |Was the training provided? |Document the training provided |

|Kentucky community college campuses to support the replication | | |

|of the program at other colleges throughout Kentucky. |Was there evidence that the training |Survey faculty following training for |

| |supported replication? |intent to replicate part/all of program |

|Activity 4b – Provide training to middle and high school |Was the training provided? |Document the training provided |

|teachers in Kentucky to help develop the pipeline and encourage | | |

|interest in the highly-technical fields of automotive and diesel|How was the resultant level of |Survey teachers for level of interest as|

|technologies. |interest determined? |a result of the training |

|Goal 4 Support Increased Public Awareness of the Evolving |How was public awareness increased? |Document measurements utilized to show |

|Transportation Industry – Increase public awareness of the | |change in perceptions |

|evolving technologies transforming the transportation industry. |What awareness was provided and how | |

| |was it linked to the evolving |Provide documentation event activities |

| |transportation industry? |and how they were linked to industry |

|Objective 5 – Promote increased public engagement and awareness |How was the event related to advances|Demonstrate/show relation of event |

|of science and technology used in the transportation industry to|in the transportation industry? |provided |

|1,000 citizens in Kentucky and surrounding states through | | |

|hosting a National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Odyssey Day Event. |How many attended? |Record cumulative number of citizens |

| | |involved |

|Activity 5ac – Host a National AFV Day Odyssey to increase |Was the “Odyssey” held? |Document the hosting of the Odyssey |

|awareness of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies| | |

|and their potential for petroleum efficiency. |How was awareness increased? |Survey participants for increase in |

| | |awareness |

Dissemination Plan

Project results will be shared at local, state, and national levels, promoting broader impact through several dissemination efforts. Grant partners will disseminate information on promising practices involved in incorporating advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels utilized in today’s high performance workplace into the community college curriculum through their involvement in state and national associations and organizations. ATech is a Continuing Automotive Service Education (CASE) training provider and a member of the Automotive Training Managers Council (ATMC), Automotive Service Association (ASA), and the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT). Likewise, Atmos Energy is a member of the Kentucky Gas Association (KCA), Southern Gas Association (SGA), and the American Gas Association (AGA). Information about the project will be disseminated at annual meetings and conferences of these professional associations and organizations, as well as in newsletters and other relevant publications. The KY Clean Fuels Coalition will also present information about the project at all annual industry meetings, conferences, and workshops and will include articles and updates on the project in their newsletter that is distributed across the tri-state area.

Likewise, as a member of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, OCTC will disseminate information to the other 15 two-year colleges in the system to promote replication of positive project results at two-year colleges across Kentucky. Project results will also be shared with other NSF grantees at annual NSF ATE PI and/or related conferences, and at state and national conferences, such as STEMTech and KCTCS’s New Horizons statewide professional development conference, among others. Project personnel will also seek out professional journals within which findings can be published. In addition, a project website will be maintained with information about project activities and their impact on learning. Many project partners have agreed to provide a link to the website on their respective websites, including the KY Clean Fuels Coalition, the KY Corn Growers Association, and Consulab.

Finally, national associations will be targeted for the dissemination of information (i.e. the American Association of Community Colleges), and OCTC will consult with Macomb Community College’s Center for Advanced Automotive Technologies (DUE 1003032), as well as the Kentucky Community and Technical College’s Automotive Manufacturing and Technical Education Collaborative (DUE 1304600), to develop an agreement to disseminate information. Both ATE Centers focus on supporting the automotive industry.

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