Synergy 2008 - Achieving Scale in Technological Innovation and Transformation Synergy 2008 was the third in a sequence of biannual conferences focused on technological education reform from the perspective of community colleges. It was held in Phoenix, Arizona beginning the evening of July 23, 2008 and concluding midday on July 26, 2008. Previous events were held in Nashville, Tennessee in 2004 and Boston, Massachusetts in 2006.  These conferences brought together participants from across the country who are related to initiatives focused on addressing key aspects of technological education reform. Participants came in anticipation of achieving synergy from their collective experiences and working together at the event. The conference themes have progressed from Problem Definition to Sharing of Innovations and ultimately to Achieving Scale in Technological Innovation and Transformation; the theme of Synergy 2008. Sponsors The principal sponsor for the Synergy conference series was the NSF. This unique sponsorship encouraged greater collaboration among centers and projects in its Advanced Technological Education program and the educational community in general. Additional funding and support were provided by foundations, corporations, and business/industry councils. Participants The conference organizers recommended that attendees come in teams led by community colleges and focused on area initiatives of technological education reform and technological workforce development. In addition to secondary and post-secondary faculty and administration, other team members came from business and industry, local and state government, and civic organizations. While some institutions elected to send individual representatives or more narrowly focused teams, all have reported realizing near-term and/or longer-term benefits from attending. Differentiation One of the key differentiating aspects of the Synergy conference series has been its structure and format. The conference structure and “process” mirrors the Challenge Cycle, which forms the basis of an effective approach to problem-based teaching and learning. Rather than hearing lectures and presentations about this research-based approach, participants experienced it as they worked together to develop action plans for addressing their own issues and challenges related to the conference theme. During the course of the conference, participants attended a succession of presentations interspersed with facilitated break-out sessions, culminating in development of structured plans of action for implementation subsequent to the conference. This combination of strong participant engagement and expectations has resulted in numerous instances of personal and institutional transformation. Due to the conference structure and the criticality of the facilitated break-out sessions, attendance was limited to 250 participants.  At Synergy 2008, there were three additional aspects that provided value to its attendees, as well as to a broader audience beyond those who participated in the actual event: •  Context Development - Thought Leaders Summit On April 7 and 8, 2008, selected Thought Leaders from education, business, and educational foundations came together in Nashville, Tennessee to develop the contextual resources for the July conference based upon their respective experiences and insights in achieving scale in the diffusion of innovation. Bringing together multiple perspectives on a situation for the purpose of developing a solution was an important aspect of effective problem solving, as well as effective teaching and learning. The proceedings of this summit will be published for use by participants in preparation for the July conference as well as others seeking strategies and successful practices in dealing with these issues. •  Professional Development for Local Innovation Coaches In conjunction with the aforementioned summit, there will be professional development for conference facilitators to prepare them to serve as innovation coaches. This ensured that conference participants received maximum benefit from the break-out sessions as well as after the conference. These coaches were sponsored and supported by participating centers and projects and also provided continuity from the conference and offerd local assistance as action plans were finalized and implemented. •  Follow-on Projects In order to ensure more enduring benefit from participation in Synergy 2008, there was more formal support and follow-up on local action plans associated with strategies for achieving scale in the diffusion of a particular innovation. The results of these follow-on projects were added to the collective knowledge arising from the Thought Leaders Summit and were made broadly available to others seeking to address such challenges.