Workforce Development

In partnership with , the , and the , Interface of Change incorporates workforce development efforts in three sets of activities:  ideation events, connections and capacity-building events, and early-career faculty and student  development. These activities provide researchers and students opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship training, and academic professional development.

 

Ideation

桃花直播 Startup Weekend is an annual ideation event in which teams of community members and students of all levels conceptualize, build, test, and market a new business over a 54-hour period. The event is organized in collaboration with Techstars.

 

  • Startup Weekends focus on Gulf of 桃花直播 community and agency partner needs, such as regional mariculture, seaweed manufacturing, and community-based solutions.
  • We support three 桃花直播ns to attend a Startup Weekend to familiarize themselves with the program and to obtain status of Techstars Startup Weekend Facilitator.
  • Startup Weekends are held annually for at least 20 participants.
We partner with the Cordova Chamber of Commerce to organize a community accelerator program called the . RISE is pan-Pacific effort that supports community-driven economic development for regenerative impact experiences that embrace the culture and desires of people and place

Interface of Change partners with to establish an Innovation Hub in the Prince William Sound region. The hub provides educational engagement activities and supportive resources surrounding innovation and entrepreneurship tailored to regional economies, like mariculture and regenerative tourism.  

The goal of the Innovation Hub is to inspire a new generation of creative and ambitious 桃花直播n youth who will be equipped to grow new initiatives for economic growth around sustainable industries in the Prince William Sound region. Growth in innovation and new markets in this region would uplift and diversify the entire 桃花直播n economy.

The IoC Innovation Hub is based at the Valdez and Cordova T3 sites. The Innovation Hub team works with the Valdez City School District and Cordova City School District and partner with teachers to help sustain the program, assist in coordinating design thinking events, and recruit students for T3 activities. Additionally, the Innovation Hub will offer a center for 桃花直播n communities to engage in dialogue to collaboratively identify and solve local challenges.

We offer Economic Development Seed Awards of $10,000 each annually to support Interface of Change researchers in advancing their research for real-world applications. 

 

Connections & Capacity-building

Interface of Change hosts an 鈥渆ntrepreneur in residence鈥 to facilitate connections between researchers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and communities. Pete Warden is our current Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Read more about Pete here.

The Workforce Development team leads connections and capacity building workshops with an Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) focus.

Workshops for at least 30 participants will be held annually and topics will be determined by a contracted 鈥淓ntrepreneur in Residence鈥 (EIR) working with the IoC researchers.

 

Professional Development

Skills-based workshops for IoC researchers and partners to help build their skills to support their research.

External funding workshops to help build UA researchers鈥 capacity to pursue follow-on NSF funding.

In partnership with 桃花直播 INBRE, IoC hosts an annual professional development workshop, Individual Growth & New Ideas Through EPSCoR/INBRE (IGNITE). The workshop includes tracks for research professionals, staff, and students. The location for this event rotates among the three main UA campuses each year. 

Interface of Change partners with the Sitka Sound Science Center to place project participants in their Scientist in Residency Fellowship (SIRF) and Scientists in the Schools (SIS) programs. In these programs, participants receive science communication training and opportunities to develop their community engagement skills. One SIRF and one SIS are placed each year.

 

In the 桃花直播 EPSCoR Student Ambassador program, students work with the Interface of Change Leadership Team to develop the structure and content for annual student-centered networking and professional development meetings. One Student Ambassador represents each of the main UA campuses (UAF, UAA, UAS). Student Ambassadors hold this position for one year, and meet with the Interface of Change Leadship Team twice over the year.

To support professional development activities, Interface of Change offers annual travel awards to fund domestic travel to attend conferences, interact with colleagues, or to engage in other activities to advance an individual鈥檚 career and sustain project outcomes. At least three travel awards are distributed each year. 

 

Workforce Development Team