Last month 8 CTE educators from Northern Virginia completed an Engineering Technology Professional Learning (ETPL) program.

Educators participated in a four-day training in June on using LJ Create desktop trainers to introduce students to pneumatics, industrial controls, electronics and the engineering technology career pathway.

Then, in July, ETPL educators practiced their skills by co-instructing one of four 1-week high school bridge programs, held on a NOVA campus. These Bridge programs, called ET Ready, focus on training 9^th to 11^thgraders in ET pathways.

In addition, all ETPL educators embarked on an industry site tour to Micron Technology or a local data center to experience first-hand how these facilities operate.

ETPL participants will be invited to return next summer as instructors to help support ET/DCO Bridge programs (for 12th graders and graduated high school students) to increase awareness of ET and DCO career pathways and the educational opportunities available to them at NOVA.

ETPL participants hailed from 5 of 8 school districts in NOVA’s service region. All received a $2500 stipend for completing the program, paid out of a $15,000 grant received from Micron Technology to support educator professional development.