In 2010, Dr. Pavel Solin, UNR (University of Nevada, Reno) Professor of Computational and Applied Math, reached out to K-12 schools in rural Nevada to help them prepare students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). Recognizing the size of the need, he built an artificial intelligence-based training platform and overlaid introductory visual Computer Programming and 3D Modeling courses on top of the platform, as his first products.
These courses worked differently than the usual video-based online courses (Khan Academy, Coursera, Lynda.com, …) which Dr. Solin found to be ineffective. In contrast to that, NCLab students actively engaged 100% of the time, learning through short tutorials and examples, and then immediately putting what they had learned to practical use, solving problems, and receiving instant feedback from the platform. Schools and libraries across Nevada implemented NCLab’s STEM training. Schools in other states and countries followed.
In 2017, NCLab Data Analytics and Python Development career training programs were commissioned by the Nevada governor’s office to address the staffing needs of employers in Nevada. The resulting programs are now offered at all Nevada community colleges, at the University of Nevada, Reno, and at a growing number of education organizations outside of Nevada.
In 2021, NCLab was selected by the State of Nevada’s Workforce Development to assess and offer training to disadvantaged people so that they could take larger roles in the new 21st century digital economy. Other workforce development projects of various types have subsequently developed both in Nevada and other states.
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