Southeast Tech wins $49,850 NSF ECCORE seed grant to expand engineering CTE

Phoenicia Homan, vice president for academic affairs at Southeast Tech, told the board that the college has been awarded a $49,850 seed grant through the South Dakota ECCORE initiative, an NSF‑funded program with Black Hills State University as the primary awardee. "I am thrilled to share with you that Southeast Tech has been awarded $49,850 seed grant through the NSF ECCORE initiative," Homan said.

Homan said the grant will fund a three‑part effort the college calls "Experience CTE" through engineering technology and advanced manufacturing pathways. The plan includes expanded on‑campus immersion events for K–12 students, a mobile engineering technology lab to bring hands‑on activities directly to schools, and professional development for K–12 educators aimed at increasing confidence and capacity to teach digital design, computer‑aided design and precision manufacturing.

"So this funding will support a project that we've called Experience CTE through engineering technology and advanced manufacturing pathways," Homan said. She named instructors Aaron Lally and Greg Schwabach as lead implementers and said marketing and administrative staff will provide supporting roles.

Board members sought clarifying details about partners and timing; Homan said activities will include both on‑campus and in‑school offerings, and that some educators will be invited to campus for workshops. She stressed the project’s focus on rural and underserved communities and on strengthening workforce pipelines for digital design and manufacturing jobs.

The announcement follows Black Hills State University's role as the statewide ECCORE awardee; Homan noted Southeast Tech is the first technical college in the state to connect to the ECCORE NSF project. The board acknowledged the report by voice vote.