It seems that we had a couple of weeks of hot weather and now we have had some very pleasant fall days as we wait for the leaves to change color.

After the end of the fiscal year, the Minnesota State Engineering Center of Excellence puts together an annual report. In this report, we provide a summary of the previous year and some of the plans in place for next year. The formulation of this document is great for self-reflection and providing vision for the Engineering Center’s key program areas for the next year. These program areas are Advanced Career Curriculum, Engineering & Engineering Technology STEM Educator Workshop, Engineering Machine Design Contest, Engineering and Manufacturing Workforce Partnership Seminars, and Explore Engineering Programs. These represent initiatives that guide the Engineering Center’s Strategic Plan.

In June, the Minnesota State System office asks all of the Centers of Excellence to submit a work plan for the upcoming year. This work plan is centered on three key areas: Engaging Industry, Enhancing Education, and Inspiring Students. In this plan, we share existing projects, new projects, or projects that need some assistance for success. There is a lot of work and thought that goes into this document, by providing growth impact numbers and innovative new programming.

Finally, we held our summer Engineering Center Advisory Council meeting in July. This meeting was in a hybrid format, meaning we had some people virtual and some people in person. We started the meeting by summarizing our annual report and work plan. From there, subgroup Advisory Council members shared their experiences in supporting the Engineering Center. Eva Scates-Winston, Career Technical Education Equity Specialist, provided training on the role of the Advisory Council in creating equitable and accessible experiences for all students. This led to our Open Space meeting framework for the afternoon. We are very fortunate to have a council that is always very engaging and insightful. They helped us to identify our next year’s top priorities of making engineering more inviting to underrepresented populations and help industries engage with youth interested in the engineering field. Many members offered to be in subgroups and consult the Engineering Center on these priorities and how they can be incorporated into our existing program areas successfully.

With school starting up, there will be many opportunities to incorporate some of our summer planning initiatives. We look forward to continuing our outreach efforts of supporting the engineering and engineering technology workforce of tomorrow and we hope you will join us.

All the Best,