National Science Foundation Advanced Technical Education (ATE) Centers - GeoTECH

In 2008, NSF funded the National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence to support 2-year college geospatial technology programs.  The GeoTech Center is a collaborative effort between colleges, universities and industry to expand the geospatial workforce.  The partners of the Center work together to provide professional development, teaching and curriculum resources, career pathways and model core competencies for geospatial technicians.

 

	GeoTech’s GIS Program Finder uses GIS technologies to help users find GIS programs in the U.S.  Contact GeoTech to add your program’s GIS offerings if they are not already there.
	The Educator section of GeoTech’s website provides educators with material for professional and instructional needs, including the latest in geospatial curriculum material, training, and resources to assist with improving geospatial academic and workforce education programs. It seeks the best of breed and encourage innovative authors to submit their own material to its Resource Repository for review and dissemination.  These include professional development events, webinars, organizations and blogs; curriculum model programs and web resources; teaching resources, like textbooks, data sources and technical specifications, the latest research in recruitment strategies, competency models, virtualization, curriculum development and alignment, and data sources; administration issues; and classroom experiences.
	The Student section of GeoTech’s website provides information to help students understand geospatial fields and opportunities.  It provides links to career pathways, certifications, GIS programs, internships, jobs, and social networking sites.
	The Industry section of GeoTech’s website provides professional development opportunities for working professionals in the geospatial technology fields, an ability to connect with a wide array of students around the country capable of fulfilling geospatial workforce needs in all topic areas and geographical regions, and way to provide internship opportunities.
	GeoTech’s Resource Repository provides geospatial news, content, data, information, events, forums and various other resources for registered users.
	GeoTech conducts leading-edge Research initiatives to broaden the knowledge and practice of geospatial technology. Our focus is the professional practice of geospatial education in two year community colleges. We seek to improve university and secondary school articulation, develop seamless articulation pathways from high school to the university, via the community and technical college pipeline. We publish white papers on our research from time to time in areas like:  competency models, curriculum DACUM, GIS general electives,  minority and underserved populations, leading edge GIS technology and education applications of geospatial technology.

 

For more information about GeoTech, connect with our staff, see our partners, national visiting committee or evaluation reports, or call (361) 698-1475.