Initiatives

K-12 EDUCATION, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING

• Math and Science Education - CERT supports the enrichment of Math, Science and Technology K-16 Education through a partnership with district administrators and teachers in refining and replicating the Math, Science and Technology (MST) model currently in place in Caddo Parish. CERT institutions, as members of the MST Consortium, worked with the Caddo Parish School Board in establishing an MST curriculum model in two Caddo Parish Schools, Keithville Elementary/Middle (K-8) and its feeder high school, Southwood High School (9-12). This initial partnership was successful in bringing a national program, Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) to Southwood. The MST model was expanded to include a middle school in 2004-2005, and other middle and high schools were added in 2005-2006. Since then, numerous CERT Math and Science disciplinary faculty have been working with these schools in providing professional development opportunities for teachers and unique experiences for students. The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Program, a national robotics curriculum, is also in place at all MST schools. In addition, a Biotechnology Magnet program was implemented at Southwood in the 2006-2007 school year. Currently, there are 130 teachers and 5,000 students participating in the MST program in Caddo Parish.       

• Youth Development and Training Opportunities – At the request of the two regional Northwest Louisiana Workforce Investment Boards, CERT convenes WIA staff to plan activities for WIA youth focused on workforce education and training opportunities and quality professional development for staff of training providers. CERT and the Louisiana Workforce Investment Areas are engaging out-of-school youth in job skill and career building activities.

• The Continuum for All Louisiana Learners (CALL) - A new innovative initiative developed by the Southern Regional Education Board and the Louisiana Board of Regents is underway to support our region’s current, aggressive economic development initiatives and to improve access to college and better jobs for three groups of adult learners: adults with no college experience, adults who attended college but did not complete a degree and those with college degrees who desire an additional college credential for career advancement.  Two higher education institutions—Northwestern State University (NSU) and Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC)—have partnered with CERT, Louisiana Board of Regents and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and have developed multiple new approaches to raise the educational attainment level of our adult workforce and make it easier for area adults to enroll in college and earn credentials.  In FY 2007-2008, CALL expanded statewide and now includes four additional new sites.  The CALL initiative is part of the Board of Regents’ “Education….Go for More!” campaign, being implemented in cooperation with the SREB’s Adult Learning Campaign, supported by a grant from the Lumina Foundation, and the Go Alliance, a consortium of SREB member states chartered to cooperatively prepare for and launch media outreach campaigns that motivate all students to complete school at high levels of achievement.
  

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• U.S. Air Force Cyber Command and the Cyber Innovation Center (CIC) - A new initiative that will support the U.S. Air Force’s research goals in cyberspace, and enhance the CERT institution’s ability to support the CIC as well assist in the stand-up of the Command is in the initial stages of development. This cyber sector initiative will allow CERT to move forward in building innovation and workforce capacity among secondary and post-secondary students/faculty, Information Technology firms and the many other companies that will be important to the U.S. Air Force Cyber Command mission, both locally and nationally. CERT’s unique position as the intermediary between institutions of higher learning and their respective educational systems can serve as an effective conduit for research and development activities and workforce training that may be beyond the scope of any one institution. The high-performance resources at some of the CERT institutions will assist existing researchers, educators and business start-ups, and attract new, cutting-edge ones as well existing technology companies and entrepreneurs.

   

• CERT Institute for Biomedical Informatics (CIBI) – CERT coordinates a focus on bioinformatics. CERT partners have formed a multi-institutional task force; published a White Paper proposing the establishment of the CERT Institute for Biomedical Informatics (CIBI); sponsored three Bioinformatics Symposia of scientists, educators, students and industry interested in applying informatics to biology and medicine; secured a $50,000 planning grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents; and is in the process of identifying funding to create a Bioinformatics Center. Additionally, the Presidents/Chancellors at three CERT institutions (LSU-Shreveport, LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, and Louisiana Tech University) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue the development of a joint PhD program in Bioinformatics. The Board of Regents has approved the Letter of Intent to develop this program, and the curriculum is being finalized to present to the Board of Regents for final approval.

• Medical Home Project – CERT has received $100,000 in funding from the Biomedical Research Foundation for assistance with the Medical Home Project to identify current resources for training, degree programs, residency and internship programs, curriculum development needs, health information technology capacity, and workforce recruitment strategies of the healthcare workforce. The medical home service delivery model will ensure access to core evidence-based health care services, emphasizing convenient, comprehensive primary care. Additionally, it will ensure appropriate specialty care, inpatient services, and affordable pharmaceuticals, emphasizing both patient and provider accountability.

MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Center for Louisiana Entertainment Workforce (CLEW) - CERT is developing and marketing an innovative new initiative that could make a significant difference in Louisiana’s ability to leverage the investment it has made in recruiting the film and entertainment industries to the State. CLEW will provide training for the skills set needed for the opportunities available in the film sector, in music production and distribution, in the digital media industry as well as other entertainment industry careers. CLEW will coordinate and promote the training and professional development activities of the CERT member institutions and serve as a liaison with the film and entertainment industry in ensuring that the most needed skills are delivered. CERT, as the lead institution with Southern University at Shreveport has been awarded a $40,000 City of Shreveport Community Development Block Grant that will facilitate the development of training programs responsive to film industry workforce needs.

   

• Digital and New Media Initiatives - CERT continues working with the Foundation for Arts, Music and Entertainment (FAME) which includes the development of a Digital Media Center that CERT institutions would serve as the management entity. FAME, with CERT as the lead partner, applied for and received $500,000 Phase 1 State Capital Outlay award for the planning of the Center. The full amount of the Capital Outlay award is $15,000,000. This Center is still in the planning stages. The CERT Executive Director continues partnering efforts with LED (Louisiana Economic Development) through her participation on various committees on Economic and Workforce Development and by attending the LED Annual Economic Development Summits. As a result of this ongoing partnership with LED, CERT submitted and received a $75,000 grant for the recruitment of Digital Media/Technology companies to the region. This funding also facilitated CERT sending a team of representatives from FAME and CERT to the national New Media Consortium Conference in Indianapolis, IN, in June 2006. The result of this conference was the gaining of state-of-the-art digital technology information to assist in the development of the Digital Media Center. Also, the Entertainment Business (E-Biz) South is planning a "Music, Movies and Media" Conference in Bossier City on October 2-4, 2008. CERT is in discussions with LED staff to explore coordination of CERT's planned Digital Media Symposium with the October music conference.