The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB) has received a $277,440 Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. government’s independent science agency.
The three-year grant will support the Agriculture Drone Operators and Remote Sensing program at the college. This program will allow UACCB faculty to test new ideas and curricula that will enhance precision agriculture education. The program will focus on building a workforce pipeline for people of all ages.
Activities will include youth exploratory programs, professional development for local educators, and a short-term certification program for the emerging and existing workforce.
“Our community college is committed to providing agriculturalists with access to emerging precision technologies. Our faculty are developing a program focused on providing regional producers with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to offset input cost and increase efficiencies,” says Dr. Zach Harber, principal investigator, and dean of workforce education.
The ATE program focuses on the education of technicians who work in high-tech fields that drive the nation’s economy. Because two-year community and technical colleges are the leading sources of technician education in the United States, faculty from these higher education institutions have had leadership roles in most ATE projects since the program began in 1993.
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