50-U6940-25-CP177_2025_Sole_Source_Form HCTC.pdf.PDF

2021 Sole Source Form

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

SOLE SOURCE REQUEST AND DETERMINATION FORM

A sole source determination is not effective until the sole source request for determination has been posted for thirty (30) calendar days without challenge, and subsequently approved in writing by the State Purchasing Agent or, for Professional Services Agreements, the Secretary of the General Services Department. The foregoing requirement is regardless of whether the sole source request for determination has been signed by the Agency and/or the Contractor.

I. Name of Agency: Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell

Agency Chief Procurement Officer: Michelle Williams

Telephone Number:575-624-7007 Agency Contact for this request: Michelle Williams Telephone Number & Email Address575-624-7007, michelle.williams@enmu.edu

II. Name of prospective Contractor: High Country Technology Consultants, LLC

SHARE Vendor Number (must be active):

Address of prospective Contractor: 3005 W 29th St, Unit B, Greeley, CO 80631

Contact Name, Telephone Number and Email Address: Josh Nelson, (303) 746-2602, joshn@hctcinc.com Amount of prospective contract before tax: $99,300 Estimated tax amount (tax is subject to change): $615.87 (tax on training)

Term of prospective contract:

Note: The purchase of the WozEd STEM kits is a one time purchase for the kits outlined in the quote provided by High Country Technology Consultants, LLC

III. Agency is required to state purpose/need of purchase and thoroughly list the services (scope of work), construction or items of tangible personal property of the prospective contract (if this is an amendment request to an existing contract, include current contract number issued by SPD):

Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell would like to purchase the following Woz Ed STEM kits to complement the STEM Bus experience that will be provided to the community.

Woz Ed Engineering Pathway Kit Level III

• The lessons in this unit will support instructors as they introduce students to the process, potential, and products of 3D printing. Beginning with a conceptual understanding and moving towards 3D printing with purpose, these lessons will support both instructor and student as they make their way into this exciting realm.

The lessons have a mix of manipulative activities, building 3D items in modeling software, and engineering challenges. Students will track their learning through an engineering journal.

Woz Ed Engineering Pathway Kit Level IV

• In this kit, students will learn to design structures to solve everyday problems. Using a variety of brainstorming techniques, students will identify a problem, empathize with someone affected by the problem, then prototype a solution. These solutions will be created using simple 3D-design software. Once the ideas are generated, students will use 3D printers to rapid-prototype and test their ideas. Creativity, problem solving, failure, and feedback are all part of this project. At the conclusion, students will pitch their ideas to the class using a version of NBC’s “Shark Tank.”

The larger group will then vote on the best ideas. Winning products can be outsourced for final fabrication or rewarded in another creative way.

Woz Ed Drones Pathway Kit Level III

• The Deploy Your Drone Level III Kit prepares young pilots for success in flight.

Working with safety and drone regulations, students will acquire the knowledge needed to fly safely in and out of the classroom. This kit supports students in improving piloting skills while also exploring the science behind flight and drones.

Allowing for research and hands-on application, the modules build into challenges and tasks that allow plenty of flight time with support. The kit begins with students building a snap together drone. It culminates by combining flight skill, science, and teamwork with friendly competition.

Woz Ed Animation Pathway Kit Level III

• The Animation Level III Kit will introduce students to animation creation using the Stop Motion Studio Pro app. Students will deepen their understanding of animation by creating flipbook, stop motion, claymation, and pixilation animation projects.

Students will practice their communication and presentation skills by sharing these animation projects in a student showcase.

Woz Ed Animation Pathway Kit Level IV

• Animation is an illusion of movement in visual environments. Technology provides every person with the ability to create animations that are used in entertainment, presentations, social media campaigns, videos, and mobile experiences. Students learn animation basics through traditional cel animation and stop motion photography. In 3D animation, students learn about its rapid advancement and influence throughout multiple industries. Using stop motion animation and a programmable robot, budding animators mix multiple mediums to create their own choreographed dance moves.

Woz Ed AI Pathway Kit Level III

• The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Level III Kit educates students about the meaning of AI in a series of engaging, hands-on activities that use both digital and analog tools.

Students will learn that AI is dependent on a combination of human programming, data collection, and machine learning through participating in a variety of activities.

They will have opportunities to create their own data sets and machine learning models, participate in a series of Google AI Experiments, acknowledge and share examples of AI in their own lives. They will learn how to create a programmed network of input, processing, and output through engineering design and tactile coding activities with Cubelets.

Woz Ed AI Pathway Kit Level IV

• The Level IV Artificial Intelligence (AI) Kit will teach students about the core ideas of AI and how data is collected and arranged. In module one, students will learn the context of AI in modern technology and how laws and ethics are formed. Next, students will explore how AI uses patterns to learn data. By making a decision tree, students will build an interface model that emulates how humans would respond. In the third module, students will study machine learning using the program, Runway.

Students will create a slideshow presentation to show to the class. In module four, students will see how AI is used to create art. Students will work with online resources that use AI technology to create their own outcome. This leads into the fifth module where students will learn the organization and collection of data. Using key vocabulary, students will explore how their favorite apps collect and store data points. The kit ends with an ethics game in module six where students will be faced with ethical scenarios and instructed to choose their position on the issue.

Woz Ed Robotics Pathway Kit Level III

• In the Level III Robotics Kit, students will explore robots as programmable machines with interconnected systems. Each module starts with a hands-on investigation of a specific robotic concept. Students will learn about robot attributes and how roboticists design, engineer, and program robots to perform tasks and solve problems. In the first module, students collaborate to build a robot. Module Two focuses on how robots sense their environment and are programmed. Module Three encourages exploration of simple physics concepts, such as time-of-flight and the gravity vector, which are essential for obstacle avoidance. In Module Four, students work together to program their robots to complete tasks. The final module allows students to experiment and demonstrate their programming knowledge. By engaging in the engineering design process, students will understand the inputs needed to achieve desired outputs. Throughout the Level III Robotics Kit, they will also have the opportunity to learn coding using Scratch or industry standard languages like JavaScript and Python.

Woz Ed VR Pathway Kit Level III

• Students will enjoy discovering Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) as they develop skills with various devices and software programs. They will dive into activities that immerse them in learning about science and technology. They will view and create content in AR and VR while exploring life on Earth, life in low Earth orbit on the ISS, and future life on Mars. Student learning will expand as they investigate housing around the world, biodiversity, future life on distant worlds, and more.

Woz Ed VR Pathway Kit Level IV

• In this kit, students will experience the world of reality beyond what they see. They will learn how to experience virtual environments and how to create these experiences for others. Students will investigate the differences between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and what technology is available in each realm.

Augmented reality technology takes a world that already exists and adds a layer on top to embellish the real world and make it more accessible. Virtual Reality starts with a world that is created. These virtual worlds can be created from digital platforms or video and photography. At its core, virtual reality aims to transport people from the ‘real’ into the ‘virtual’ through a digital portal. When added to real-life objects, items on a map, or even combined with other machines, these experiences in AR and VR give us something called Mixed Reality. In this kit, students will use mobile devices, headsets, and computers to experience and create AR and VR experiences.

Woz Ed Coding Pathway Kit Level III

• This STEM kit will teach students to code Mini Sphero through drawing, block, and text coding. Students will explore various types of communication and relate them to the ways they can communicate with Mini Sphero. As students start to learn coding, they will discover how to relate block coding to text code. In addition to coding and communication, students will expand their knowledge of geometry and physics concepts.

Woz Ed Coding Pathway Kit Level IV

• The Woz ED Coding Foundations kit equips students with essential programming skills through a hands-on, experiential curriculum. The first section of the Level 4 Coding course provides students with fundamental programming knowledge applicable to any coding language. They will explore core programming concepts such as variables, input/output, conditions, loops, and expressions. Students will begin with block coding using Code.org and Scratch before advancing to programming with Raspberry Pi and breadboards. This immersive introduction to computer science prepares them for more advanced programming challenges.

The semester continues with Section 2 of the curriculum, which takes students on a deeper dive into programming concepts. They will further develop their coding skills using online resources, Raspberry Pis, and Python programming. By the culminating activity, students will construct advanced loops, calculate basic statistics, and build a program with a graphical user interface.

IV. Provide a detailed explanation of the criteria developed and specified by the agency as necessary to perform and/or fulfill the contract and upon which the state agency reviewed available sources. (Do not use “technical jargon;” use plain English. Do not tailor the criteria simply to exclude other contractors if it is not rationally related to the purpose of the contract.)

In an effort raise awareness of the importance of STEM careers and STEM experiences, we have determined that the curriculum and physical components included in Woz Ed STEM kits will bring great value to our community. As students engage in the activities of our STEM Bus, they will develop a greater understanding of key STEM Career opportunities and determine which Career Pathways are of the greatest interest.

V. Provide a detailed, sufficient explanation of the reasons, qualifications, proprietary rights or unique capabilities of the prospective contractor that makes the prospective contractor the one source capable of providing the required professional service, service, construction or item(s) of tangible personal property. (Please do not state the source is the “best” source or the “least costly” source. Those factors do not justify a “sole source.”)

High Country Technology Consultants, LLC is the sole provider of Woz Ed STEM Kits, including curriculum and physical components contained in the kits, for the State of New Mexico. As a reseller of Woz Ed STEM Kits, High Country Technology Consultants, LLC provides a comprehensive approach to STEM Career Exploration in the form of up to 10 different Career Pathways. Due to the high levels of engagement that students experience, Woz Ed is a unique product designed to not only introduce learners to a variety of STEM Career Pathways but also allows them to delve deeper in to the pathways they find most interesting.

VI. Provide a detailed, sufficient explanation of how the professional service, service, construction or item(s) of tangible personal property is/are unique and how this uniqueness is substantially related to the intended purpose of the contract.

The Woz Ed Career Pathway Kits allow learners to explore a mix of pathways to determine overall interest in potential vocations as they develop into professionals.

The blend of curriculum, national standards alignment, and the physical components offered in the Woz Ed program are substantiated by various studies that support the efficacy and effectiveness of the overall program offering.

VII. Explain why other similar professional services, services, construction or item(s) of tangible personal property cannot meet the intended purpose of the contract.

Our analysis indicates that the manufacturer offers more competitive pricing compared to other STEM Kit options and more importantly, does not require a subscription for ongoing use of the curriculum. This sets Woz Ed apart from other available options because once you have the content, you can continue using the content in perpetuity without additional cost for the content and curriculum.

VIII. Provide a narrative description of the agency’s due diligence in determining the basis for the procurement, including procedures used by the agency to conduct a review of available sources such as researching trade publications, industry newsletters and the internet;;

contacting similar service providers; and reviewing the State Purchasing Divisions’ Statewide Price Agreements. Include a list of businesses contacted (do not state that no other businesses were contacted), date of contact, method of contact (telephone, mail, e-mail, other), and documentation demonstrating an explanation of why those businesses could not or would not, under any circumstances, perform the contract; or an explanation of why the agency has determined that no businesses other than the prospective contractor can perform the contract.

Certified by: Date:____________________

Agency Chief Procurement Officer

Agency Approval by: Date: ____________________

Cabinet Secretary/Agency or Entity Head or Designee

APPROVED: Date:____________________

State Purchasing Agent

If this sole source is being submitted by a governmental agency or governmental entity not under the final authority of the State Purchasing Agent, the State Purchasing Agent’s signature is not required. The signature line may be removed from this form or marked as N/A. Hard Copy Documentation for Courtesy Postings do not need to be submitted to SPD for approval.

I. Name of Agency: Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell