An AI-driven Career Inspiring Experiential Program for Semiconductor Education

About This Grant

Semiconductor education for high school students holds immense importance in meeting the increasing demands of workforce in America's expanding semiconductor ecosystem in the years ahead. There have been noteworthy efforts both in the U.S. and abroad to bring semiconductor education to high school students. However, without a fundamental knowledge in circuits and electronics and prior hands-on experiences, it is very difficult for students to comprehend the concepts they are exposed to and connect what they learned in the classroom with their future careers. Another significant challenge is how to recruit, train, and retain skilled workforce in the US semiconductor sector. This challenge is particularly prominent for local schools in Las Vegas area. To address the national and local needs, this project aims to develop an AI-driven Career Inspiring Experiential Program for Semiconductor Education (ACIES) through a partnership among the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), local high schools, and industries. A total of 96 college-bound students will be trained through this program. The major objectives of this project include: 1) Enhancing high school students' knowledge, skills, and interests in microelectronics and semiconductor fields; 2) Enhancing students' self-efficacy in learning electrical and computer engineering as well as physical sciences; 3) Bridging the gap between education and professional development in related career pathways; 4) Investigating factors (awareness, interests and others) that impact high school students' career choices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) fields. The activities include: 1) Developing the ACIES curriculum in microelectronics and semiconductor tailored specifically for high school students; 2) Engaging 24 high school students annually in immersive learning experience through a top-to-down approach spanning three phases of workshops: System-Level Design, Circuit-Level Design, Semiconductor Manufacturing in each spring and summer; 3) Connecting these college-bound students with their future career pathways through field trip visits, interviews with professionals, and apprenticeship/internship at local industries; 4) Testing the curriculum by integrating it into local high schools' robotics/engineering design classes. The project will collaborate with the SEMI Foundation and local industries in providing career exploration support, field trips, and apprenticeship/internship opportunities. Four research questions addressing the project objectives will be studied. The mixed-methods approach will be used to effectively evaluate the project's approach in improving learning outcomes by incorporating students' feedback on what helps foster transformative pathways for learning microelectronics and semiconductors. The collaboration among a major university, the local school district and local industries represents a unique opportunity to spark innovation and drive economic development in Southern Nevada. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.