With the Osceola School District serving as a key driver for diverse economic development in the Central Florida region, the Osceola County School Board and Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace have greatly expanded the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) curriculum being taught in schools so that it directly aligns with workforce needs now and in the future. The district’s newest STEM initiative is SEMI High Tech University (SEMI HTU), making Osceola the first school district in Florida to partner with the SEMI Foundation for their internationally-acclaimed high-tech career exploration program for high school students to take place June 13-15, 2017.
Participating students will have the unique opportunity to visit BRIDG, a SEMI High Tech University host and sponsor, for hands-on workshops facilitated by BRIDG technology staff and industry partners to learn about various pathways from school to advanced manufacturing and technology careers, in such areas as advanced sensors, optics, and photonics. In addition to the student program, a teacher program will take place on June 7-8 to connect the classroom experience to careers in technology for educators. These students and teachers will investigate how high-tech STEM solutions are used to solve real-world problems, to enhance student’s perceptions about STEM, and to generate excitement for world-class, high-tech jobs in the local area.
This program will be available to qualified students and teachers at no cost to them and serve as the pilot program for the Central Florida region.
The Osceola County SEMI HTU Program is funded by the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and the Osceola County Education Foundation. Additional hosts and sponsors making this event possible also include the Osceola School District’s Career and Technical Education Department, imec, Mercury Marine, NeoCity/Osceola County Government, and the University of Central Florida.
SEMI Foundation is part of SEMI, the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the micro- and nano-electronics industries. For more information, visit www.SEMI.org.
About SEMI Foundation
The mission of the SEMI Foundation is to support education and career awareness in the field of high-technology. SEMI Foundation is committed to helping high school students gain a better understanding of how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are used to solve “real world” problems. SEMI Foundation fosters a renewed commitment to explore a future in the technology industry. Since 2001, its HTU program has reached over 6,900 students in 12 states and nine countries. Learn more at www.semifoundation.org.
About BRIDG
BRIDG is an industry-led consortium for advanced sensors, optics and photonics and other advanced manufacturing devices, focusing on the development of innovative manufacturable processes, materials and equipment for nextgeneration smart sensors and other future high-tech products. Supported by Osceola County, the University of Central Florida and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, BRIDG facilitates the connection between innovation and industry and “bridges” the innovation development gap that makes commercialization possible. BRIDG is initially targeting smart sensors and imagers technology transforming the way humans interact with the world every day.