Kepware Technologies, a software development company focused on communications for automation, today announced that in an effort to promote STEM education and workforce development in Maine, it is accepting applications for its second annual school grant contest. The contest is open to any school, classroom, school club, or educational program located and operating in the state.

Kepware will accept applications until April 3, 2015. Applicants will be evaluated on a one-page essay detailing why the grant is needed and how it will be used to improve educational opportunities for Maine students. Up to three grant recipients will be selected. Winners will be announced on June 1, 2015 and receive the grants for use during the 2015-2016 school year.

"Developing a thriving, technical workforce starts long before one enters the job market," said Tony Paine, CEO, Kepware. "Students need to begin learning technical skills at an early age, and that starts with access to computers. Yet many schools and academic organizations in the state are lacking access to this critical resource. Companies like Kepware can help change that."

The program originated in 2014 following Paine's correspondence with Jessica Walling, a fourth grade teacher from the Farrington School in Augusta, Maine. Walling's students could only utilize a shared lab of equipment for one hour a week and sign out laptops as they were available. Concerned that such limited access would hinder the development of necessary skills, she contacted Paine to see if Kepware could help alleviate the technology gap. Ultimately, Kepware donated over $10,000 to the school to procure 25 laptops, and Paine decided to turn the program into an annual contest.

"Because of Kepware's donation, every fourth grade student at the Farrington School has access to a computer," said Walling. "Now our students have the tools they need to build the foundational technical skills that will help them succeed when they enter the competitive workforce."

The annual school grant contest is just one of several philanthropic initiatives driven by Kepware to promote STEM education and workforce development in Maine. Each year, its Summer Internship Program offers four full-time internships to students within the field of engineering, and in 2014, it donated over $30,000 in software to the University of Maine, Orono's Electrical Engineering Technology Program.

Applicants can submit essays and supporting documentation via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by post to Kepware Technologies, 2015 School Grant Contest, 400 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101. Complete contest rules and eligibility can be found online.

There will be 304 students from 38 countries and 33 U.S. states and territories that will attend the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy (HLCA) this year. The unique leadership opportunity will run from February 21 to March 7, 2014 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.

HLCA uses interactive technology, science-oriented workshops, and team exercises to teach children of Honeywell employees leadership skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). During the program, the students will meet scientists, engineers, and former astronauts who will reinforce core leadership competencies and share their first-hand professional experiences. Students will engage in team-building challenges such as designing, building and testing their own rockets; participating in simulated astronaut training, shuttle missions and a moon walk; and conducting DNA extraction experiments on fruit.

“Our goal is to continue to develop a new generation of leaders, engineers, and scientists who can address the challenges of tomorrow,” said Tom Buckmaster, President, Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company’s global corporate citizenship initiative. “Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy is a holistic program that uses a variety of teaching methods to open students’ minds to the many possibilities for rewarding careers.”

Reflecting growing demand for more general, fundamental instruction in process automation, the International Society of Automation (ISA) announces today it has developed a new course for non-maintenance personnel with little or no background in the field of process measurement and control.

ISA Process Automation Boot Camp for Non-Maintenance Personnel (PABC)—which will make its 2014 debut during the week of Monday, 31 March 2014 at ISA headquarters in RTP, NC, USA—is specifically designed for:

• Operations personnel with no instrument maintenance responsibilities, but who require a general knowledge of process automation equipment
• Automation engineers who need a basic understanding of process automation equipment, signal transmissions and process measurements
• Process control engineers who need to understand the operation of all equipment associated with the process control loop
• Process control equipment sales staff needing to learn process measurement and control and the various applications of process instrumentation
• Managers responsible for overseeing operations or maintenance personnel who need a general overview of the technology maintained by their staff

While more general in focus, this new ISA course delivers highly intensive instruction—combining select laboratory demonstrations (approximately 25% of course time) with expert-led, in-depth lecture and classroom discussion—over a full week. Considerable emphasis is placed on the physical measurement technologies, the communication signals, and the various applications of instrument equipment to achieve common process measurements and control.

Primary course objectives include:

• Providing an overview of industrial measurement, automation equipment, and equipment installation to non-maintenance personnel so that they gain a basic knowledge of instrumentation, including terminology and operation
• Outlining recommended installation practices for the most common process measurement and control equipment
• Describing measurement technologies employed by different types of measurement instruments
• Pinpointing the various communication signals and related pros and cons
• Identifying basic troubleshooting techniques to verify proper field equipment operation

To learn more about, or register for, the PABC course, visit www.isa.org/PR14/PABC

The International Society of Automation (ISA) has announced that, beginning in March, it will conduct four highly intensive technical training events—comprised of world-class technician, automation engineering and safety courses—in Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; and Carson, California during 2014.

These in-depth instructional events for automation and control professionals, known as ISA Technical Training Camps, span four consecutive weeks and provide:

• Highly condensed, rigorous instruction that speeds learning and mastery of skills while saving time and expenses
• The opportunity to take multiple ISA training courses at one location, and at a discounted rate
• Pre-arranged local plant tours, which demonstrate how the instruction and skills taught in the course are being applied in actual work environments
• Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for each course successfully completed

Each ISA Technical Training Camp includes the following instructional components:

1. ISA Technician Training Boot Camp (TTBC)

One week of intensive training that covers a broad range of technical topics, starting with basic instrumentation fundamentals and leading to the latest advances in smart technology.

2. ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training (AEST)

One week of expert-led lecture and hands-on instruction that covers practical, real-world automation survival skills—from process measurement fundamentals to advanced automation.

3. ISA Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) Boot Camp

Four courses offered in two week-long segments, held back to back, of escalating process safety training:

Part I – Two fundamental safety courses: Introduction to Safety Instrumented Systems for the Process Industry (EC50CT) and Safety Instrumented Systems—Design, Analysis, and Justification (EC50)

Part II – Two advanced safety courses: Advanced Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Selection (EC52) and Advanced Design and SIL Verification (EC54)

“The success of the two ISA Technical Training Camps we held in 2013 illustrated that there is strong demand among automation professionals for a training offering that includes multiple in-depth ISA courses in one location,” says Dalton Wilson, ISA’s manager of Education Services. “Professionals tell us that because the training is so condensed and comprehensive, they can quickly ramp up their career skills and knowledge by attending just one training event.”

The locations and dates for the four ISA Technical Training Camps during 2014 include:

• Denver, Colorado in March
  • ISA Technician Training Boot Camp, 3-7 March
  • ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training, 10-14 March
  • ISA SIS Boot Camp, Part I – 17-21 March and Part II – 24-27 March

• Houston, Texas in June
  • ISA Technician Training Boot Camp, 2-6 June
  • ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training, 9-13 June
  • ISA SIS Boot Camp, Part I – 16-20 June and Part II – 23-26 June

• Houston, Texas in September/October
  • ISA Technician Training Boot Camp, 8-12 September
  • ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training, 15-19 September
  • ISA SIS Boot Camp, Part I – 22-26 September and Part II – 29 September to 2 October

• Carson, California in October
  • ISA Technician Training Boot Camp, 13-17 October
  • ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training, 6-10 October
  • ISA SIS Boot Camp, Part I – 20-24 October and Part II – 27-30 October
  Register today at www.isa.org/PR14/TrainingCamp