Commonwealth Alliance for Information Technology Education (CAITE)

NSF awards CAITE $1.9M

The National Science Foundation has just awarded CAITE a new grant to extend its reach across the state and expand its work to diversify participation in IT education and Massachusetts' innovation economy. Starting in 2009, 3 central Massachusetts public institutions (University of Massachusetts Lowell, Worcester State College, and Middlesex Community College) will become new partners. Each current region will also add a new campus--Northern Essex Community College in the east; Bridgewater State College in the southeast; and Greenfield Community College in the west--increasing the number of alliance partners to 15.

Latest News

• Web course draws new students to IT at Holyoke CC:
  Holyoke Community College is piloting a one-credit class, "IT's All About Me," this
  spring. Developed and taught by Ellen Majka, the course is aimed at introducing
  students to IT by having them develop websites about themselves using HTML. The
  developmental class has no pre-requisites and so far has enrolled a dozen interested
  students who hadn't previously taken IT classes. In recruiting students for the class,
  Majka has strengthened connections among CAITE, faculty, outreach programs such
  as New Directions, and the HCC advising center. For more information about the
  course, contact Ellen Majka.
• CAITE to extend "Artbotics" to partner campuses:
  Artbotics, a project launched at
  UMass Lowell, brings art and robotics
  together to interest students in design
  and technology. Watch the CAITE
  website for details about a summer
  2009 workshop for educators who may
  want to adopt the Artbotics model at
  their college, after-school program,
  and/or museum.