During the week of October 22nd, approximately 30 female high school students, most of them Latinas, will attend SEMI High Tech U, an industry driven math and science-based career exploration program for high school students and teachers. The students will learn about high-tech careers and the science behind the semiconductor chips that power modern day products like hand-held games and cell phones. This all-girl program confronts the fact that fewer females than males pursue math and science-based careers in the United States, and will explore the idea that young women and men may learn better in a same gender environment.
SEMI High Tech U is a collaboration that includes the non-profit SEMI Foundation; semiconductor industry companies Intel, Air Products, and ASML; the Maricopa Advanced Technology Education Center (MATEC); Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC); and the Agua Fria and Tolleson High School Districts. Industry and education community volunteers serve as instructors, introducing students to the technology used to create chips that power virtually every electronic device made today, and explaining the educational pathways that lead to rewarding careers in the high-tech industry. Under a special arrangement with the SEMI Foundation, MATEC organizes and presents SEMI High Tech U programs in Arizona and New Mexico. MATEC is a member of the Academic Affairs division of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
"The partnership between EMCC, our industry partners, and SEMI High Tech U allows these young women to be exposed to career pathways and to the community college environment," said Maria Reyes, director of grants and corporate development for EMCC, one of the 10 community colleges within the Maricopa Community Colleges. "It is our hope to inspire them, through the interaction they will have with industry professionals and college faculty members, to further their education and explore the opportunities available to them."
"At Intel, we are proud to collaborate with organizations such as SEMI, MATEC, and Estrella Mountain Community College to create innovative solutions that will spark an interest in the minds of young women," says Carlos Contreras, Intel's Arizona education manager. "We believe that creating a diverse workplace strengthens U.S. competitiveness, providing opportunities such as High Tech U is just another way to accomplish this." Contreras noted that Intel co-sponsored an all-girl SEMI High Tech U in New Mexico last year, and that a number of Latina engineers participating in Intel's Latino Network will participate in the Phoenix High Tech U program, serving as positive role models for the students.
"The SEMI Foundation is committed to reaching out to student populations that are underrepresented in our industry," says SEMI Foundation Vice President Lisa Anderson. "Focusing on local female students is an ideal way to address this need." Anderson noted that as many as 80% of the students participating are expected to be Latinas - many of them recruited from EMCC's Hermanas Disena tu Futuro program for Latina high school students.
"The simple fact is we need to get more young women and other diverse populations interested in pursuing science-related careers. Our entire industry is facing a shortage of workers that will only widen unless each and every one of us does our part and that means reaching out to underrepresented groups," said Richard Jordan, Air Products' Chandler, AZ plant manager and also High Tech U instructor. "At Air Products, we think High Tech U is a great way for the public and private sectors to partner and impart in these students the passion for science that we come to work with every day."
"Top-notch engineering talent is an increasingly scarce commodity, and we must focus on the potential of today's young women," said ASML spokesperson Jerry Holtzclaw, North American training manager, ASML. "ASML supports the SEMI High Tech U program and hopes it will encourage more students to pursue careers in math and science."
BEST VISUAL OPPORTUNITIES:
Day One: Tuesday, October 23 - Location: All Tuesday activities are at Intel Chandler Campus, Bldg C6, 5000 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler.
10:30-11:30 am - Hacky Sack Catapult: The air is filled with hacky sacks as kids learn how medieval technology relates to modern day chip making in a math and statistics exercise called "Statapult."
1:15-2:30 p.m. - Human Calculator: Using a "feet on" exercise, like the game "Twister," students try not to get tangled up as they simulate electron microprocessor flow.
Day Two: Wednesday, October 24 - Location: All Wednesday activities are at Estrella Mountain Community College, Center for Teaching and Learning, 3000 N. Dysart Road, Avondale.
There will be two sessions held between 10:00 am and 3:30 pm.
Students will work with three of EMCC's 13 female science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty who will serve as successful role models in these male-dominated fields, while discussing the opportunities available to students and exploring various topics.
Hands on Activities:
DNA Labs On Chips: Students will work in EMCC's newly remodeled science labs to create models of the DNA microarray manufacturing process using everyday materials. They then use these models to explain how microchips are made and apply semiconductor concepts to biotechnology.
Barbie Bungee: Students will model a bungee jump using a Barbie doll and rubber bands. The distance that the doll will fall is directly proportional to the number of rubber bands. This context is used to examine linear functions.
Day Three: Thursday, October 25 - Locations Vary (see below)
11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Job interview skills and mini college fair: Students learn job interview techniques; conduct mock interviews with industry professionals. Location: ASML Training Center, 2010 E. Centennial Circle, Tempe.
1:00 - 3:00 pm - Students attend opening of Intel's Fab 32 Location: Intel Ocotillo Campus, 4500 S Dobson Road, Chandler.
5:30 - 6:00 pm - Graduation. High Tech U grads receive their diplomas. Two students will each receive a $1000 scholarship. Location: Estrella Mountain Community College, Plaza Gallery, 3000 N. Dysart Road, Avondale.
*Activities are subject to change.
For more information contact:
Angela Obolsky, MATEC, 480-731-8322; 480-612-4390 (cell)
Dawn Jones, Intel, 480-552-2002; 602-418-0617 (cell)
Lisa Anderson, SEMI, 408-943-6918 (office); 408-482-5235 (cell)
Carissa Pool, EMCC, 623-935-8054