Submit Additional Questions - Online Form

General

• Which format do we submit the new updated budget and workplan?
  • Please use the existing budget and work plan sheet and rename with your college name and use a different text color for changes.
• How do we know who the emails are going to for the various requirements of this grant?
  • Answer: We have a database of college contacts we have designated individuals who contact our CCC Maker Project Team into the categories below. Please us this form to submit additional members of your team, or an update.
    • Administrator is responsible for fiscal and reporting
    • Project Lead is accountable for day to day activities and reporting
    • Project Leadership Team are to be consulted for major activities
    • Project Members are to be informed of events

Budget

• How do we submit the Budget Summary sheet which requires a signature from the CBO?

  • Answer: Please print and obtain the signature from your CBO to scan and place in your folder.

• How much of an indirect cost should we budget for? Is it a percentage?

  • Answer: No indirect costs should be charged to the local college budget.

• Do I need to have the signatures on the Budget Summary page before submitted the Implementation Plan by May 17th?

  • Answer: The budget isn’t necessary for the Implementation plan submittal, therefore not necessary at that time. Yet, please include in your grant request in June 16th.

• Where should I go to find the correct RFA Number and where should that be entered?
  The CCC Maker Implementation Plan Workbook - Year One is showing a field for an RFA Number and the adjacent cell shows the word "ERROR."

  • Answer: Please ignore the error and erase the field if necessary.

• The Application excel template is not populating my college's name correctly.

  • Answer: Please verify that the excel file is editable after downloading and select the district first to populate the college list.

• We are working with a local commercial employer to train students with their hardware and software. How do we quantify the inkind contribution?

  • Answer: Establishing a method to record student contact with employers and establishing an hourly rate of would be advisable as a separate line item than any hardware or software estimates. This method would allow for collecting dates and student engagement hours.

Internships

• In section 2.5 Internships, what does 1:3 funding match mean?

  • Answer: The 1:3 match is for the overall project and not only for the internships. We will go over these details next week when we cover the work plan and budget.

• Do we have to pick one of the internship options, or can we include develop a plan for more than one option?

  • Answer: Planning for all options is a great way to diversify the expectations for your institution to reach your goal of 50 interns. Please go forward and consider all 3. Please make sure to review the webinar and consider the on boarding of the students and work based learning program which may also include the badging for soft skills training.

• Do the business hours spent in the makerspace have to be from the same business?

  • Answer: This options is similar to a fourth we were considering and was denied. The scenario limits continuity of an employer to provide key feedback to students at the conclusion of the internship. The feedback would be directed towards the knowledge, work ethic and professionalism of students. This activity would be classified as a work based learning “pre-internship” since there would not be an evaluation of any one employer. Possibly some employers would opt to sign up for this effort and after developing a relationship, a longer internship may ensue with one of the students.

• If there is a cost to participate in the SBDC training, would the cost be able to be paid for through the Foundation for CA?

  • Answer: Any cost of such training would be part of your Implementation Grant budget and picked up by your college since the Foundation is only paying for the student salary. You may want to consider the value proposition of the training and how that investment fits in the internship portfolio. I’m quite familiar with the SBDC after overseeing one myself and the free consulting wouldn’t necessarily fit in this situation since they are more directed to help a business with existing issues and their questions. A student with limited experience would need more coaching which would typically be a purchased service at an SBDC to participate in an intense bootcamp of sorts to develop their business idea and potential preparation for an investment pitch. This service is not typically one that the free services cover.

• Can students work at a k-12 school or library to assist them in setting up and maintaining their makerspace?

  • Answer: An internship opportunity is a culmination of preparation by the student in mastery of soft skills and relevant knowledge and technical skills in their occupation of consideration. Such preparation is meant to be assessed by an employer who is best to judge since they would potential hire individuals in the field or have the similar skills themselves. The process is meant to enhance student learning objectives and the employer is not meant to benefit in any way, this is per Labor law. The following six criteria must be applied when making this determination per Department of Labor Internship Programs Fair Labor Standards Act

    1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;

    2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;

    3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;

    4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;

    5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and

    6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

Makerspaces {#id}

• Where can I find local makers that can help my students a projects?

  • Answer: If you do not have access to a local commercial makerspace there are some websites you may find some direction - Makerspace directory and Maker Directory

Community of Practice

• What is the best source of information for the content of the self-study?
  • Self study information could be hard data from your research office, data from CalPass Plus and could also include soft data like surveys and focus groups. The main thing is that it’s student centered. The goal is to argue for the unique value of your makerspace to student career development, graduation and employment based on real demographics and empathy in a Design Thinking model.